Three members of Royal Navy die in tragic helicopter crash

The Ministry of Defence have confirmed that three Royal Navy personnel have died in a helicopter crash in Devon this morning (3 June), after images of the crashed helicopter showed the scale of the damage.

The aircraft, which appeared to be a Merlin helicopter, crashed in a field in Devon and the MoD announced on social media that there had been three casualties.

They said: “It is with deep sadness that we can confirm three members of the Royal Navy have died during a helicopter training exercise on Wednesday June 3 near Sourton, Devon.

“The families of the service personnel have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this sad time.”

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed three Royal Navy personnel died in the crash (Tom Wren / SWNS)

Local man Eddie Amhof told ITV News he heard engines cut out and then saw an 'almighty flash of red' upon witnessing the helicopter

"I heard this horrendous noise from a helicopter, it sounded like he was going to pitch on the roof. It was a terrible noise," he said.

"By the time I got out of bed, and got to the window, he’d moved away about half-a-mile. And all of a sudden, no noise at all. The engines was gone.

"At the same time as the engines went, there was an almighty flash of red which lit up the sky. About five to six minutes after that there was a big bang, an explosion."

The crash resulted in several roads in the area being closed, and the crash site is situated between Royal Navy air bases located in Yeovilton in Somerset and Culdrose in Cornwall.

The crash occurred just before 4am during a training exercise (Rod Minchin/PA Wire)

The head of the Royal Navy, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said in a statement: “I know this will come as a huge shock to all in our naval community, and my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”

Speaking in parliament today, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he had been made aware of the crash which occurred this morning.

"This will be a deeply worrying time for the families and more information will be set out as soon as possible," he said.

Images of the scene show the tail of the aircraft in the field surrounded by debris and scorched earth.

The cause of the helicopter crash which has resulted in the deaths of three people has not been confirmed.