Three Royal Navy personnel killed, MoD confirms
The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that three Royal Navy personnel died during the helicopter training exercise near Sourton, Devon, on Wednesday, June 3.
“The families of the Service personnel have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released,” the MoD said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this sad time,” it added.
The Ministry of Defence did not identify the personnel, the unit involved, or the helicopter type. The Royal Navy previously said an investigation had been launched into the incident.
A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed into a field near Okehampton, Devon, with emergency services responding and an investigation now underway.
Devon and Cornwall Police said emergency services were called to Sourton Down after the aircraft came down in the early hours of June 3, 2026. Several road closures were put in place around the A386 and the A30 Sourton Cross slip road and services area, with traffic authorities warning of delays on the A30 eastbound exit slip to the A386.
“The incident is ongoing and we will share more updates as we have them,” police said, adding that the UK Ministry of Defence had confirmed the aircraft was a Royal Navy helicopter.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said the incident occurred “just before 0400” near Sourton, and that an investigation had been launched. “It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Aircraft type not yet confirmed
The Royal Navy has not confirmed the type of helicopter involved, the unit operating it, the number of personnel on board, or whether there were any injuries.
Open-source flight tracking shared on social media had already pointed to a possible Leonardo AW101Merlin helicopter in the area, while images later published by The Daily Mail appear to show wreckage, including a tail rotor section, consistent with the Merlin. The identification has not been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence or the Royal Navy.
#RN Royal Navy – Fleet Air Arm
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) June 3, 2026
AgustaWestland Merlin HC.4 1x#43C06E ZJ119 – SWORD 02 (??)
Reported by @SkyNews, the Ministry of Defence have confirmed a Royal Navy helicopter has crashed in a field near Sourton in Devon.
The last aircraft to track in the area was ZJ119 as… pic.twitter.com/m8QTtbT7sI
The crash site sits near Dartmoor, not far from Okehampton Battle Camp, a military training area that has previously been used for helicopter training. The wider southwest of England is home to the Royal Navy’s principal aviation bases, including RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset.
Culdrose is the home of the Merlin Helicopter Force, which operates the Merlin Mk2 in the anti-submarine warfare and fleet protection roles. Yeovilton hosts multiple Fleet Air Arm units, including Wildcat squadrons and Commando Helicopter Force elements. The Royal Navy’s Merlin fleet is split between the maritime Mk2 and the Merlin Mk4, the latter operated by the Commando Helicopter Force for amphibious assault support, troop transport, casualty evacuation, and other battlefield support tasks.
Local disruption was reported around Sourton Cross as emergency services and investigators secured the site. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and AeroTime will update this story as further details are confirmed.