Date:	Wednesday 4 September 2024
Time:	20:45
Type:	AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HC4
Owner/operator:	846 Sqn RN
Registration:	ZJ135
MSN:	50187/RAF19
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	English Channel, In Vicinity of 50 18.4N 002 55.3W, Dorset -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Queen Elizabeth, English Channel, 13 miles off Dorset coast
Destination airport:	Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station (YEO/EGDY)

Narrative:
A Royal Navy Augusta Westland AW101 Merlin HC4 ZJ135, operated by 846 Sqn, coded "T", and based at RNAS Yeovilton (YEO/EGDY), ditched in the English Channel, near Dorset, during operations with HMS Queen Elizabeth. One crew member perished and two others were rescued. According to the summary on the BBC Website:

"A Royal Navy service member died when a helicopter ditched in the English Channel near Dorset
It happened at around 20:45 BST on Wednesday and involved a Merlin Mk4 that was performing a night training exercise with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier
Two other crew members onboard avoided serious injury and were rescued
The deceased person hasn't been named, but the BBC understands they were based at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he was "deeply saddened" to hear of the Navy member's death, while Healey says it was "truly dreadful news"
The head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Ben Key, adds that he was "intensely saddened by the tragic loss"

BBC Verify has been analysing the last movements of the helicopter before it ditched into the English Channel.

Using data available on the aircraft tracking site ADS-B Exchange, we can see there were two Merlin helicopters operating off the coast of Lyme Regis last night.

Shortly after 20:45 BST, one of the Merlins disappears from the tracking map and we don’t see it again.

A couple of minutes later the other Merlin appears on the map and operates in the same area for several minutes before also disappearing.

If military aircraft do not want to be seen, often they will turn off their publicly-available tracking system. This is commonplace during military exercises, or when aircraft enter areas of hostility.

ADS-B Exchange does not detect any other activity at the site until roughly half an hour later when a coastguard helicopter arrives, before heading towards and landing at Portland at around 21:50 BST.

At this point, the other Merlin at sea flies inland and finishes its journey in Yeovilton.

The Navy said the night flying exercises taking place last night were in coordination with HMS Queen Elizabeth. We have found a recent satellite image, captured at 12:21 BST yesterday, which shows an aircraft carrier in a similar area around 22km (13 miles) off the Dorset coast.

MV Maersk Achiever (Subsea Support Vessel) belived to have been contracted to conduct search and recovery of Merlin Mk4 helicopter that crashed in fatal accident off Dorset coast on 2024, 4th September.

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c6p29860r5pt
2. https://inews.co.uk/news/royal-navy-sailor-dies-merlin-helicopter-crash-dorset-3262562
3. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24565520.one-dead-royal-navy-helicopter-ditched-off-dorset-coast/
4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/05/royal-navy-helicopter-channel/
5. https://www.forcesnews.com/services/navy/one-person-killed-royal-navy-merlin-helicopter-ditches-channel-exercise
6. https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2024-09-05/member-of-royal-navy-dies-after-helicopter-ditches-into-sea
7. https://news.sky.com/story/royal-navy-service-member-dies-after-helicopter-ditches-in-english-channel-13210133
8. https://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=ZJ
9. ADS-B Exchange - Flight playback

ZJ135: first flown 19 December 2001, delivered 22 March 2002. Written off (destroyed) 4 September 2024 as per the above

Screenshot

ZJ135 - Westland EH101 Merlin HC3 RAF Northolt Night Shoot XXX 7th March 2024.

Royal Navy person dies after navy helicopter ditches in sea off Dorset coast https://t.co/DaEfGWUgYb

— Bournemouth Echo (@Bournemouthecho) September 5, 2024

MV Maersk Achiever (Subsea Support Vessel) belived to have been contracted to conduct search and recovery of Merlin Mk4 helicopter that crashed in fatal accident off Dorset coast on 4th September. pic.twitter.com/WWXZ82t3Jm

— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) September 17, 2024

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Sep-2024 13:58	aus	Added
05-Sep-2024 13:59	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Country, ]
05-Sep-2024 14:07	ASN	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
05-Sep-2024 14:14	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, ]
05-Sep-2024 15:07	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Total occupants, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
05-Sep-2024 18:25	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Sep-2024 06:37	Andrew.Nicholls	Updated [Registration, Cn, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ]
06-Sep-2024 08:37	RobertMB	Updated [Cn, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Sep-2024 08:52	RobertMB	Updated
06-Sep-2024 16:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
09-Sep-2024 13:16	Ashields	Updated [Location, Embed code, Category, ]
17-Sep-2024 20:10	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ]
28-Sep-2024 10:00	Nepa	Updated [Time, Operator, Embed code, Operator, ]