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UK Ministry of Defence confirms three fatalities after AW101 Merlin HC4 (ZJ131) crash during night training in Devon

The UK Ministry of Defence says a Leonardo Helicopters AW101 Merlin HC4 transport helicopter registered ZJ131 crashed during a training exercise near Okehampton/Sourton Down in Devon in the early hours of June 3, killing three Royal Navy crew members. Investigations are underway into the cause.

Discovered 2026-06-03T02:01:55.045887-07:00 | 2026-06-03T02:01:55.045887-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Another fatal AW101 Merlin training mishap underlines the operational risk profile for military helicopter fleets and the need for timely safety findings during ongoing investigations.
  • The crash involves a Royal Navy-operated troop transport variant (Merlin HC4) during night training, making it directly relevant to training procedures, mission readiness, and maintenance/airworthiness oversight.
  • It follows closely on other recent military helicopter crash investigations, including the Qatar Emiri Air Force helicopter crash in territorial waters, reinforcing how technical and operational causes can remain under review pending official reports.

Reported By

Aero-News Vertical Mag news.ssbcrack.com The Guardian The Independent Travel Radar
Sources Tracked
28
First Seen
2026-06-03T02:01:55.045887-07:00
Latest Update
2026-06-06T21:13:08.515451-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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