Navy pilot killed in helicopter crash death after ‘commander mistakenly switched off engines’, inquiry finds

1 sources1 storiesFirst seen 9/20/2026Score26Mixed Progress

Single Source

Bigness

Coverage

Recency

Engagement

Velocity

Confidence

Clipability

Polarization

Claims

Contradictions

Breakthrough

Sentiment Mix

Positive0%

Neutral0%

Negative100%

Geography

EuropeNorth America

Expert Signals

GB News - News

source • 1 mention

AI-Generated Claims

Generated from linked receipts; click sources for full context.

A Royal Navy pilot's death was caused by a number of "compounded errors," an inquiry into his death has found.

Supported by 1 story

Lieutenant Rhodri Leyshon, 31, died after his helicopter, the Merlin Mk4, plunged into the English Channel during a training exercise with the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on the night of September 4, 2024.Issues began to occur at 8:46pm when a rubber part inside one of the Merlin's three engines split, causing it to malfunction.A warning appeared on the display saying there was an issue with the engines, but did not specify which, and the crew wrongly concluded that the other two engines had failed.

Supported by 1 story

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The commander then switched off the two working engines without confirmation from a second crew member that this was the correct procedure required, investigators found.The faulty engine, now running alone, revved so fast that its safety system shut it down, leaving the aircraft with no power.The helicopter then plummeted into the sea, snapping off...

Supported by 1 story