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| Date: | Tuesday 4 January 1972 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Blackburn Buccaneer S Mk 2B |
| Owner/operator: | 12 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | XW539 |
| MSN: | B3-08-70 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Irish Sea off the Isle of Man -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Honington, Suffolk |
Flew into the Irish Sea off the Isle of Man killing both crew (Sqn Ldr T Gilroy (pilot) and Flt Lt C Willbourne (navigator)). Note that the accident took place on the night or January 4th/5th 1972, hence the differing dates given in some published sources.
Sources:
1. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1972/1972%20-%201937.html
2. http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/S2B_XW539_files/0_S2B_XW539.htm
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20170721225135/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/Buccaneer.htm
4. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1972.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Dec-2008 11:01 | harro | Updated |
| 17-Jul-2011 01:17 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Feb-2012 09:08 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, ] |
| 10-Jun-2013 01:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Aug-2015 00:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Oct-2018 19:00 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
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