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Nimrod Losses

The Nimrod had historically been considered by its crews to be a safe aircraft. In the years prior to the loss of XV230, the Nimrod had completed some 400,000 flying hours with only four accidents recorded resulting in the loss of an aircraft, namely:

1. Nimrod MR2 XV256: The first Nimrod to be lost in an accident was Nimrod MR2 XV256 on 17 November 1980. Shortly after take-off from RAF Kinloss, the aircraft flew through a dense flock of seagulls. Ingestion of a large number of birds into the engines caused a significant loss of power and the aircraft crashed in woods close to the airfield. Although, tragically, both pilots were killed in the accident, their skill in crash landing the aircraft ensured that their crew survived.
2. Nimrod MR2 XV257: Nimrod MR2 XV257 made an emergency landing at RAF St. Mawgan on 3 June 1984, following an uncontained fire, caused by the ignition of one of its load of flares in the bomb bay. The flare, at the rear of the bomb bay, ignited shortly after take-off, initiating the bomb bay fire warning, followed one minute later by the centre section overheat warning and an underfloor alarm in the aileron bay. As the underfloor alarm sounded, smoke began to enter the cabin. The captain completed a dumb-bell turn to return to St. Mawgan as quickly as possible. Despite the fact that the aircraft was landed within four minutes of the bomb bay fire warning's initiation, the aircraft suffered extensive (Category 5) damage, including a breached pressure hull.
3. Nimrod R1 XW666: On 16 May 1995, Nimrod R1 XW666 suffered a mechanical failure in the No. 4 engine, as a result of which a starter turbine blade punctured the No. 2 fuel tank. This allowed fuel to enter the space between the tank and the engine bay titanium fire wall where it ignited, provoking a fire which could not be suppressed. Although the aircraft initially diverted towards RAF Lossiemouth, the captain decided to ditch in the Moray Firth, following reports from a crewman at the starboard escape hatch that the starboard wing was rapidly disintegrating. Subsequent analysis of the aircraft's rear spar determined that, during the four minutes of fire, the rear spar's strength had deteriorated by 25%, illustrating the fine judgment of the aircraft captain in ditching when he did.
4. Nimrod MR2 XV239: On 1 September 1995, whilst conducting an air display at the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto, Nimrod XV239 crashed into Lake Ontario, killing the seven man crew. The accident was attributed to human factors, in that the aircraft had been manoeuvred at a speed and G-loading causing it to stall at a height from which recovery was impossible.

Of these accidents, only one (XW666) could be attributed to a failure of the aircraft's systems. There was a further incident, on XV227 on 22 November 2004, in which, unbeknown to the aircraft crew, a hot air duct disintegrated, which led to the airframe concerned being retired early. However, there is no discernable pattern to the aircraft accidents detailed above. None of the accidents illustrated a pattern of faults with the aircraft or was directly relevant to the loss of XV230.