Overview
- A Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed at Sourton Down near Okehampton during a training exercise on Wednesday, 3 June, destroying the aircraft and killing all three crew.
- The dead were identified as Lieutenant Lily‑Mae Fisher, Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson and Petty Officer Owen Green, all based at RNAS Yeovilton and serving with 846 Naval Air Squadron.
- The MoD said Lt Fisher, 31, was on her final flying assessment and due to receive her pilot’s wings in June.
- Families and senior officers paid tribute to the crew, with relatives describing Fisher as an “extraordinary” aviator who had an Imperial College MSc, a background at BP, and had completed the All Arms Commando Course.
- An official Royal Navy and MoD inquiry is under way, investigators are working at the scene, and the outcome could affect training procedures and safety reviews for military helicopter operations.