In a rare and striking sight in British aviation history, a Royal Navy Sea Harrier FA.2 (Serial #122) assigned to the elite No. 800 Naval Air Squadron ended up submerged in a local river near RNAS Yeovilton (Yowellton), with only its fuselage spine and vertical stabilizer protruding from the water.
The incident occurred during a routine training flight when the V/STOL jet suffered a control system failure shortly after departure. The pilot, Lieutenant Clayton, ejected safely. The pilotless aircraft glided a short distance before making a relatively low-speed water entry into the riverbed.
1. Incident & Recovery Breakdown
[Takeoff from RNAS Yeovilton] ──► [Control Failure / Ejection] ──► [Unmanned Water Entry] ──► [Upstream Damming & Pumping] ──► [Crane Recovery]
- The Incident: Following the pilot’s successful ejection, the Sea Harrier trimmed out and descended gradually, striking the river at a low airspeed which minimized major airframe destruction.
- Complex Salvage Operation: To recover the airframe, salvage teams first built a temporary dam upstream and deployed high-capacity water pumps to drain the river section, exposing the jet’s tie-down points.
- Crane Extraction: A heavy mobile crane was brought in to lift the saturated airframe out of the mud. The ejection seat guide rail extending behind the open canopy remained visible throughout the recovery.
2. Aircraft & Squadron Data Profile
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| INCIDENT DATA SUMMARY |
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| Aircraft Type | British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA.2 (V/STOL Fighter) |
| Serial Number | 122 |
| Operating Unit | No. 800 Naval Air Squadron (RNAS Yeovilton) |
| Powerplant | Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk 106 Vectored-Thrust Turbofan |
| Casualties | 0 (Pilot ejected safely; zero ground injuries) |
| Airframe Damage | Nose impact & extensive freshwater submersion electronics loss |
| Subsequent Status | Gate Guardian at RNAS Yeovilton entrance |
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3. From Tragedy to Preservation: The Fate of No. 122
While water immersion damaged the sensitive avionics and radar systems beyond cost-effective military repair, the structural integrity of the airframe remained remarkably intact:
- Gate Guardian Duty: Deemed a financial write-off for active combat duty, the airframe received cosmetic restoration and was installed as a “Gate Guardian” display at the entrance of RNAS Yeovilton.
- A Fortunate Fate: While most No. 800 NAS Sea Harriers were scrapped or cannibalized following their fleet retirement in 2006, aircraft #122’s early mishap inadvertently preserved it as a permanent public museum piece.
- Scale Model Fame: The unique story and distinctive red-accented tail markings of No. 800 Squadron inspired scale model manufacturers to produce commercial kits featuring aircraft #122’s exact serial number.
