One Crew Member Lost as Royal Navy Merlin HC4 Ditches in the English Channel | Aviation

The Royal Navy has confirmed the loss of one crew member following an incident off the coast of Dorset, UK, where a Merlin HC4 helicopter, operating from aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, crashed into the sea.

The Royal Navy released the following statement via social media on Sept 5, 2024: “It is with great sadness that we must report a member of the Royal Navy has died following a training incident last night. Our thoughts are with the family – who have been informed – and all those affected at this sad time. A full investigation will take place. The incident involved a Merlin Mk4 helicopter in the English Channel near Dorset that ditched while conducting night-flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth. There were no other fatalities or serious injuries.”

Two crew members were able to be recovered following search and rescue efforts that included HM Coastguard helicopters from Newquay Airport and Solent Airport. A Royal Navy Merlin HM2 helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was also dispatched towards the scene using the transponder squawk code 0023, which denotes aircraft engaged in search and rescue operations.

The Merlin HC4 involved in the incident remains on the sea floor, with recovery efforts expected to take some time to coordinate.