HMS Richmond helicopter crash

HMS Richmond helicopter crash

Helicopter-borne operations from HMS Richmond in 2013
Accident
Date	12 June 2002 (2002-06-12)
Summary	Aircraft lost at sea
Site	Atlantic Ocean, 200 miles off the coast of Virginia
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Westland Lynx
Operator	Royal Navy
Registration	XZ256
Destination	HMS Richmond
Passengers	1
Crew	2
Fatalities	2
Injuries	1
Survivors	1

On 12 June 2002, the Westland Lynx helicopter attached to the Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing two of the three on board. It had been returning to the ship after an air-to-ship missile live firing exercise, when it suffered a double engine failure. The two fatalities were Lieutenants Rod Skidmore and Jenny Lewis, the pilot and observer seated in the two person cockpit; Lewis is believed to be the first female Royal Navy pilot or observer to die in service. A third crew member, Petty Officer Paul Hanson, survived after being rescued. He had been on board to photograph the exercise. The helicopter went down approximately 200 miles off the north eastern seaboard of the United States, necessitating the deepest salvage operation ever undertaken by the Ministry of Defence. Both the wreckage and the body of Skidmore were recovered, but Lewis' body was never found, leading the coroner to express regret that he was only permitted in law to record a verdict on Skidmore, of accidental death.

Aircraft and crew

The Lynx was serial No. XZ256, at the time flying from the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, which has capacity for a single helicopter, working in the anti-ship or anti-submarine role. The Lynx has a two person cockpit - one seat for the pilot, who flies the helicopter, the other for the observer, who is responsible for managing the detection and weapon systems. Both XZ256 and Lieutenants Skidmore and Lewis were assigned to 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. A naval spokesperson said in the aftermath that Lewis was believed to be the first female pilot or observer to die while serving with the Royal Navy. The crew's commanding officer described them as "extremely diligent, professional aviators".

Crash and rescue

The crash occurred on 12 June 2002. HMS Richmond was participating in an exercise to test Sea Skua and Tomahawk missiles, firing them from the helicopter at an abandoned American warship moored in the Atlantic, south-east of Norfolk, Virginia, on the north eastern coast of the United States. The Lynx was returning to the ship when it crashed. Lieutenants Skidmore and Lewis were both killed on impact; a third crew member, Petty Officer Paul Hanson, who was also on board to photograph the firing and missile impact damage, was able to escape the wreckage despite suffering a broken back. According to Hansen's evidence to the subsequent inquest, a fire had broken out in the starboard engine, with the aircraft then nose-diving into the water. He attributed his survival to Skidmore and Lewis keeping the aircraft in the air as long as they did.

In the aftermath of the crash, a joint search and rescue operation was launched by British and American authorities but was called off at sunset, with only Hanson being rescued. The crew of HMS Richmond held a memorial service the following day near the scene of the crash.

Salvage operation and crash investigation

A Royal Navy board of inquiry was convened to investigate the crash, and British investigators flew to the area the following day. The wreckage was recovered in the deepest salvage operation ever undertaken by the Ministry of Defence's Salvage and Marine Operations team, having sunk to 4,000 metres below the surface. Lieutenant Skidmore's body was eventually recovered, but Lieutenant Lewis's was not.

The incident raised questions about the safety of the navy's Lynx fleet, which had been grounded two years prior to the accident amid concerns around the helicopters' rotor blades; In response, a Ministry of Defence spokesman stated that, "as far as we are aware, there is no issue of safety with the Lynx or indication about defects which could be proven in other aircraft."

The inquest into Skidmore's death, held in Dorchester in June 2003, reached a verdict of accidental death. Despite involving the exact same circumstances, the coroner was prevented by law from holding an inquest into Lewis's death as her body was not recovered, a situation he criticised, apologising to Lt. Lewis' mother.

Locomotive D6515 dedication

D6515 (nearest to camera) in 2011, since named "LT Jenny Lewis RN"

In 2014, the preserved British Rail Class 33 diesel-electric locomotive No. D6515, based at the heritage Swanage Railway in Dorset, was named "LT Jenny Lewis RN" in her honour. This was the culmination of a four year overhaul - Lewis' father having become a majority shareholder in the locomotive's owning group to finance the work. He chose this as a way to honour his daughter, who was from Sherborne in Dorset, because she was a keen railway enthusiast, in particular a fan of the class 33. The group then chose to name the finished locomotive, to mark Jenny's "enthusiasm, achievements and loss". The dedication took place at the railway 12 years to the day after the crash, and was accompanied by a flypast by a Lynx from RNAS Yeovilton, whose commanding officer was also in attendance.