Royal Navy helicopter crashes into field in southwest England

June 3 (UPI) -- A Royal Navy helicopter crashed in a field in a remote area of Devon in southwest England early Wednesday. Police said an incident was "ongoing" but provided no information on the status of the crew or damage.

Rescue teams and first responders were at the crash site near the village of Sourton Down on the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park, said Devon and Cornwall Police, which declared a "major incident."

A Royal Navy spokesperson said that the incident occurred just before 4 a.m. local time and that an investigation was under way but declined to make any further comment.

Nearby major highways linking the southwest peninsula with the rest of the country were all closed.

Related

• FAA chief: Bad airspace design led to D.C. airliner-Black Hawk crash
• Pentagon chief Hegseth posts Army helicopter ride with Kid Rock
• Wildcat helicopter fabrication to remain in Britain, UK Ministry of Defense says
• Ascent receives $1.6B helicopter training contract

Witnesses told the BBC the aircraft sounded as if it was in serious mechanical difficulty as it overflew their homes shortly before the crash.

One said the helicopter was flying so low it almost took the roof off their house.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was in Parliament for his weekly grilling from lawmakers, pledged to release more details as soon as possible.

"I'm aware of a Royal Navy helicopter crash this morning in Devon. This will be a deeply worrying time for the families and more information will be set out as soon as possible," he said.

Navy Lookout, an independent news outlet focused on the Royal Navy, said the downed aircraft was a triple-engined Merlin helicopter. It said the aircraft had good safety record overall but that a Merlin Mk4 had crashed into the English Channel while operating off the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in September 2024, killing the pilot.

The full Service Inquiry report of the crash investigation has yet to be published.

The Royal Navy operates Mk2s in a maritime forces defense role and Mk4s to "empower the Royal Marines for elevated missions," according to its website.

The Royal Navy has airbases in Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall and the crash scene is just four miles from a military range in Okehampton and borders the Dartmoor National Park where Commando Helicopter Force crews train.

Historic May moments through the years

Wreathes are seen amongst the statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial during Memorial Day weekend in Washington on May 27, 2023. Memorial Day, which honors U.S. military personnel who died while in service, is held on the last Monday of May. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo