A Westland Puma helicopter operated by the Royal Air Force yesterday crashed in North Yorkshire, with the result that two people were killed, and 10 injured. An investigation has now commenced in what may have caused this fatal incident to occur. The Puma came down at approximately 9.00PM on Wednesday 8^th August, in an area located west of Catterick Garrison, an local army base.

The Ministry of Defence identified the Puma as hailing from the Oxfordshire base of RAF Benson, furthermore that it belonged to 33 Squadron.  According to North Yorkshire Police, of the 12 on board the medium sized transport helicopter, three were Royal Air Force crewmen. The remainder were all passengers, and serving within the British Army. Those injured were transported to hospitals in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, and Newcastle.

One eyewitness to the crash was Andrew Pavey, a local resident. Speaking to the media, Mr Pavey said: "We watched this helicopter quite rapidly go straight up into the air and it didn't sound right". He continued: “It sounded like the engine was misfiring or something - it was making a hell of a racket. This helicopter went onto its side and then shot off. I didn't hear [any] bangs or [anything]. I didn't see [any] flames or anything like that at all."

An official statement was made by the Ministry of Defence, in which, Michael Mulford, a ministry spokesman, confirmed the following to BBC News 24: "An RAF helicopter, just shortly before 2130, did come down just on the edge of the Catterick Garrison which is locally known as Hudswell Grange. We did launch a major search and rescue operation involving two helicopters, two mountain rescue teams and our colleagues from the police service."

The Puma, he said, would have been in the area “in support of the army in some sort of manoeuvres or training". He further added, in respect of the enquiry now to come: "The investigation will go through every possible detail, everything to do with the maintenance of the aircraft, everything to do with crew hours and flying hours as well as weather conditions, mechanics and electrics - everything that you can think of that might contribute to an accident."

Catterick Garrison is the biggest Army base in the UK. Over 11,000 people are engaged in activities there, including 7,500 soldiers and 2,000 civilian employees. The area occupied by Catterick extends to 2,400 acres.

The Westland Puma is a chief type in the RAF’s helicopter inventory. Designed in the late 1960s as one of number of Anglo/French collaborations, it remains in service in large numbers with Air Forces the world over.

Source – Armed Forces International’s Aviation Expert