List of accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King

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Accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King
RAF Rescue Helicopter.jpg
Royal Air Force Sea King HAR3A

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Westland Sea King helicopter, a British license-built and developed version of the American Sikorsky Sea King anti-submarine and utility helicopter, [1] As of 2012, Westland Sea Kings have been involved in forty-six significant accidents and incidents, involving forty-eight aircraft, during their service career. This total includes thirty accidents and incidents involving Royal Navy helicopters, one involving a helicopter operated by the Empire Test Pilot's School, two involving helicopters owned by the German Navy, three involving helicopters operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, four were Sea Kings owned by the Indian Navy, one owned by the Pakistan Navy, and five involving Sea Kings operated by the Royal Australian Navy. Sixty-nine pilots and crewmembers have been killed in accidents involving Westland Sea Kings.

Contents

Of the accidents and incidents included in this list, six were caused by engine failure, while six flight-into-terrain accidents were recorded, with two additional hard landings resulting in serious damage to the aircraft. Seven more of the accidents and incidents were a result of problems in the helicopters' drive systems, while five others were caused by collisions, three of them being mid-air collisions - two with other Sea Kings, the third, with a Lockheed Hercules transport -, one a collision with the superstructure of a ship, and another a collision with a high-tension cable. Two accidents were the result of failure of the main rotor, with two others being caused by weather, while one accident each was caused by instrument failure, bird strike (presumed), [2] fuel exhaustion, and on-board fire; eleven other accidents and incidents did not mention a specific cause, simply that the helicopter involved crashed or ditched without further detail being provided.

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References

Notes
  1. Chant 1996, p.69
  2. 1 2 3 Burden et al 1986, p.265
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Howard/Burrow/Myall 2010, pp. 229-279
  4. Westland Sea King MK41 89-61: Report on the Accident at Yeovil Airfield, Somerset on 16 January 1974. Great Britain. Dept. of Transport. Accidents Investigation Branch. 1975.
  5. 1 2 "Flugunfälle mit Sea King" (in German). Seefliger.de. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers: RAN N16 Westland Sea King Mk.50A". ADF-Serials. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  7. "HMAS Ibis". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  8. "1960-1980". Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers' Association. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  9. "ADF Serials - Sea King".
  10. 1 2 3 "Sea King Mk.43". Helis.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 "Sea King Mk.42". Helis.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  12. Burden et al 1986, p.266
  13. Burden et al 1986, p.264
  14. Burden et al 1986, p.262
  15. "Sea King Mk.45". Helis.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  16. "Sea King Mk.42B". Helis.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  17. "INAS 330 "Harpoons"". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  18. Sea King Board of Inquiry. Australian Government: Department of Defense. Accessed 2012-04-19.
Bibliography