Three crew members of the Royal Navy have died in a helicopter training exercise in Devon, the Royal Navy has confirmed
The Merlin helicopter went down in a field at Sourton Down, near Okehampton, in the early hours of this morning
Conditions at the time of the crash were said to be atrocious, with heavy rain, strong winds and very low visibility
Pictures from the scene showed the burnt-out wreckage of the aircraft, which crash-landed in a field before bursting into flames
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: “It is with deep sadness that we can confirm three members of the Royal Navy have died during a helicopter training exercise.
“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.”
