Three Royal Navy personnel were killed after a Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed during a training exercise in southwest England early on June 3, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed.
Emergency services were called to Sourton Down, near Okehampton in Devon, at about 03:45 local time after the helicopter went down in a rural area close to Dartmoor. The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft was taking part in a training mission when the accident occurred.
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"The families of the service personnel have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released," a Royal Navy spokesperson said in a statement. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this sad time."
The Royal Navy said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Devon and Cornwall Police, the Civil Aviation Authority and military personnel responded to the scene alongside local fire and rescue services.
The Merlin Mk4 is operated by the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force and is based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. The fleet consists of 25 aircraft used primarily to support Royal Marines operations, including troop transport and battlefield mobility missions.
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Military helicopters regularly conduct training flights over Dartmoor and surrounding areas, which lie between the Royal Navy's helicopter bases at Yeovilton and Culdrose. The crash site is also located near Okehampton Camp, a military training area frequently used by Commando Helicopter Force crews.
Witnesses quoted by the BBC said the helicopter appeared to be experiencing difficulties before the accident. One resident reported hearing unusual mechanical noises and said the aircraft "sounded not right" as it passed overhead.
The Merlin entered Royal Navy service in 1999. The Mk4 variant is derived from the Merlin transport helicopter used for amphibious and expeditionary operations, while the separate Mk2 version is employed mainly for anti-submarine warfare missions.
