A British Royal Air force helicopter with a flight crew of four crashed into the sea today. The Lynx helicopter based out of RNAS Culdrose, near
Helston, had been out on a search for a British seamen that had apparently fallen from a British warship. Contact was lost with the Lynx just after 7
pm when it was 15 miles southeast of the Lizard peninsula. The helicopter had been fitted with a location beacon to begin transmitting if it where to
crash. RAF Kinloss which co-ordinates search and rescue has had two Navy helicopters, one RAF helicopter, and two French Falcon scrambled for search
and rescue and a lifeboat was also launched from Falmouth. It has been established by the two frigates in the area, the Montrose and the St. Albans
that there was not a man over board as originally thought. "It's a bit of a mystery," a spokesperson had said.
telegraph.co.uk
Navy rescue helicopter crashes into the sea
(Filed: 09/12/2004)
external image
Navy Lynx helicopter similar to the one that crashed
A Royal Navy helicopter with four crew on board crashed off the coast of Cornwall last night, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Lynx helicopter, based at RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, had been searching for a sailor reported to have fallen overboard from a Royal Navy
warship. But contact with the Lynx was lost when it was 15 miles southeast of the Lizard peninsula.
Two Navy helicopters, an RAF helicopter and a Falcon aircraft of the French air force were scrambled to search for the missing machine and its
crew.
"What we don't know is whether they were able to control their landing on the water or whether it was something that happened very quickly."
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It is unknown if the four crewmen have been found yet. Hopefully they will be found in good health.
[edit on 8-12-2004 by Banshee]
