In October 1979 a number of Wessex 5 helicopters from No 707 Squadron based at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, Somerset had been detached to Valkenberg, Holland on an exercise mainly for trainee pilots to gain experience in foreign navigation. On the 8th October, after being delayed for a time by bad weather, they took off just after lunch for the journey back to Yeovilton via R.A.F. Manston for customs clearance.

In one of the aircraft, (call sign WHISKEY UNIFORM) were the pilot Lieutenant Commander P Sall and a trainee pilot. In the back of the aircraft were a number of Petty Officers and Ratings including Leading Wren Aircraft Mechanic Janet Keohane who now tells what happened.

"The weather was awful and as I recall we were flying above cloud. The flight started off in the same way as many others I had been on and it was my turn to listen in on the aircraft radio. We had been flying for what seemed like a fair while when the aircraft began to vibrate violently. I heard over the radio that Lieutenant Commander Sall had taken over the controls and was trying to find a break in the clouds and continue at a lower altitude, also that some of the instruments were no longer operational. At this point I decided that I did not want to hear any more and so disconnected my headset. In the back of the aircraft not only could we feel the vibration but could see the effects of it. The cabin windows are jettisonable but now they were flexing so much they nearly popped out. The pilot must have found a gap in the clouds because we descended very rapidly. The air crewman was obviously becoming anxious as he positioned the life-raft in readiness at the cabin door. The rest of us took up crash positions, one hand holding the seat between our legs and the other holding the escape rail behind our heads. All we could see from the aircraft was shipping flashing past and we appeared to be skimming just above the water. In fact 1 do not think any of us in the back, except the air crewman, knew what was going on.

After what seemed like an eternity the air crewman's face broke into a broad grin and the aircraft began to descend even further. Through the mist and fog we could just make out a piece of land and thankfully the pilot brought us safely down on to the best shingle beach we had ever seen! An area we now know as Orford Ness!

Janet Keohane went on to say how they drank the aircraftman's thermos of black coffee laced with some of their duty frees to steady their nerves and were then picked up by another aircraft in the flight and were flown to the U.S.A.F. base at Bentwaters before returning to Yeovilton the following day.

A team from the Mobile Aircraft Recovery and Salvage Unit based at H.M.S. Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire arrived to recover the aircraft and lived in the lighthouse dwelling while the work was carried out.

Because the helicopter was in an inaccessible position the help of the United States Air Force was sought and "WHISKEY UNIFORM" was lifted off by a Jolly Green Giant helicopter on the 11th October 1979 and taken to the Woodbridge base of the U.S.A.F. where it was loaded onto an articulated truck and returned to the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton.

The massive vibration had caused considerable damage to instruments and had made the radio unserviceable. The cause was found to be a thin strip of metal on the leading edge of one of the tail rota blades that had become detached. "WHISKEY UNIFORM" was repaired and returned to 707 Squadron to continue in service.

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