https://somersetdaily.co.uk/tags/helicoptercrash/Recent content in helicoptercrash on Somerset DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usThu, 04 Jun 2026 17:02:05 +0000https://somersetdaily.co.uk/royal-navy-helicopter-crash-claims-lives-of-three-distinguished-pilots/Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:02:05 +0000https://somersetdaily.co.uk/royal-navy-helicopter-crash-claims-lives-of-three-distinguished-pilots/Tragedy struck the Royal Navy yesterday when a Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed near Okehampton, Devon, resulting in the deaths of three esteemed personnel from the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF), based at RNAS Yeovilton. The fallen aviators have been identified as Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson, Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher, and Petty Officer Owen Green. Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson, a Somerset native, was remembered as an “extremely kind and gentle family man” devoted both to his loved ones and his career in the Royal Navy.https://somersetdaily.co.uk/rnas-yeovilton-issues-statement-following-fatal-devon-helicopter-crash/Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:42:55 +0000https://somersetdaily.co.uk/rnas-yeovilton-issues-statement-following-fatal-devon-helicopter-crash/A tragic incident has struck the Royal Navy with the fatal crash of a Merlin Mk4 helicopter during a training exercise near Sourton, Devon, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3. The aircraft went down in a field close to Okehampton, resulting in the deaths of three Navy personnel. Although the exact base of the aircraft has not been officially confirmed, the Merlin Mk4 operates predominantly from Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton near Yeovil.