Royal Navy helicopter crash ‘deeply worrying’ time for families, says PM
A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field in Devon, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing the incident as a “deeply worrying time for the families” involved. Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable James Vaughan said a major incident was declared after emergency services were called to the scene in Sourton Down, near Okehampton. A Royal Navy spokesperson confirmed the crash occurred just before 04:00 BST and that an investigation is under way, adding “it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Crash site and road closures
Road closures were put in place shortly after the helicopter went down near the A30 and A386 in Devon. The A386 between the A30 at Sourton Down and the A3079 Fowley Cross in Okehampton was closed at approximately 04:30 following the crash. Staff at Sourton Cross Service Station, which is located near the scene, said the services were currently inaccessible. The crash site is also close to Okehampton battle camp, a military facility on the edge of Dartmoor that has been used for training Merlin helicopter crews from the Commando Helicopter Force.
Witness accounts and scene description
At the scene, BBC reporter Richard Green said he had spoken to witnesses who reported hearing noises that sounded like “troubled mechanics” as a helicopter flew overhead. Green described the scene as “devastating” with wreckage visible in a field. “A witness I spoke to described it as sounding not right as it flew over his house and it almost took the roof of his house off,” he said on BBC Radio Devon. “He said it sounded like it was clearly in trouble and it sounded like it was mechanically failing.”
Government and military response
Speaking in the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer said he was aware of the crash and added: “This will be a deeply worrying time for the families and more information will be set out as soon as possible.” The Prime Minister stated that more details would be released in due course. Chief Constable Vaughan confirmed that emergency services, the Royal Navy, and the Civil Aviation Authority were responding to the crash. “We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding that crash,” Vaughan added.
Training activity in the region
Military helicopters often train in the area around north Dartmoor, which lies between the Royal Navy’s air bases at Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall. The proximity of the crash site to Okehampton battle camp, a facility used for training Merlin helicopter crews from the Commando Helicopter Force, underscores the region’s regular use for military aviation exercises. The Royal Navy spokesperson said an investigation was under way but declined to provide further comment at this stage.
Context: The incident follows previous military helicopter crashes in the UK, including a 2021 accident involving a Royal Navy Merlin helicopter that went down in the English Channel during a night training exercise, with all crew members rescued safely. In 2016, an Army Air Corps Lynx helicopter crashed in Wales, resulting in injuries but no fatalities, prompting similar investigations by the Military Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority.