A fatal training accident has claimed the lives of three Royal Navy service members after their Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed on Sourton Down near Okehampton, Devon, in the early hours of the morning.
Emergency response teams were first alerted to the incident at approximately 3:45 BST, with a major incident formally declared 15 minutes later. Seven fire engines from six local stations were deployed to the remote crash site, located near Dartmoor’s Okehampton battle camp, a well-used training ground for Commando Helicopter Force crews. By 13:30 BST, the main stretch of the A386 between the A30 and Fowley Cross had been reopened, though the A30 eastbound exit slip road remained closed to allow investigation work to continue.
Local residents, familiar with routine military training traffic in the area, described hearing unusual sounds from the aircraft before the crash. One local resident named Paul, who lives in a nearby hamlet, said he was woken by the extremely low-flying helicopter, which sounded irregular. Another resident, Julie Ricketts, who lives across the valley from the crash site, called the incident devastating, noting “They were only training. It’s just very, very sad for the families.” By the afternoon, local members of the public had begun leaving floral tributes near the site to honor the fallen personnel.
Senior military and political figures have quickly issued statements of condolences following the tragedy. The Princess of Wales, who holds the honorary position of Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, said she and Prince William were “holding their families and friends in our hearts” following the loss. The BBC understands the royal couple will contact the bereaved families directly in the coming days, while King Charles III is also aware of the incident and will send private messages of sympathy to the next of kin.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, head of the Royal Navy, described the crash as a devastating shock to the entire naval community. “My deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy,” he said. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the fatal crash “utterly tragic” on social media platform X, while Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “devastated by the loss of three service personnel.” Local MP Sarah Dyke, who represents Glastonbury and Somerton, added that her thoughts were with the victims and their grieving families.
The crashed aircraft was confirmed to be a Merlin Mk4, a variant of the Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter fleet that entered service in 1999. The Mk4 variant is operated by the Commando Helicopter Force out of RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, with 25 of the aircraft currently in service supporting Royal Navy operations. The area around north Dartmoor between RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose, where the older Mk2 anti-submarine variant is based, is a regular training route for military helicopter crews. This is not the first fatal incident involving the Merlin Mk4: in September 2024, another Mk4 ditched in the English Channel during a training exercise, killing Lt Rhodri Leyshon. A 2004 crash at RNAS Culdrose left five crew members injured, with two trapped in the wreckage.
An official investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched immediately. The UK Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the Defence Accident Investigation Branch (DAIB) will lead the probe into the circumstances of the incident, while local police continue to support on-site investigation work. The Royal Navy confirmed that the next of kin of all three deceased personnel have been informed, and have requested privacy to grieve before any further details are released to the public.