List of Harrier family losses

The list of Harrier family aircraft losses covers each incident in which a Harrier was destroyed or otherwise written off due to damage sustained.

List of losses Date Operator Variant ID Description 12 July 1961 Hawker Siddeley P.1127 XP976 Flown by test pilot Hugh Merewether, was damaged after a main bearing failure and resultant fire warning caused an emergency landing to be made at RAF Tangmere, Sussex. Landing heavily, the aircraft burst into flames. Merewether got out unhurt but the aircraft was badly damaged. Bearing failure caused compressor disintegration, the fragments creating a hole in the compressor casing. 14 December 1961 Hawker Siddeley P.1127 XP836 Crashed after a cold nozzle detached in flight and the aircraft became uncontrollable during approach to normal horizontal landing. Pilot Bill Bedford ejected unhurt. Aircraft hit a barn and caught fire.Aircraft Profile No. 198, The Hawker p. 1127 & Kestrel by Francis K. Mason - Profile Publications, 1966 - p. 9. 30 November 1962 Hawker Siddeley P.1127 XP972 Written off after belly landing at RAF Tangmere. 16 June 1963 Hawker Siddeley P.1127 XP831 Crashed while flying at low speed and low altitude during a display at the 1963 Paris Air Show, pilot Bill Bedford climbed from the aircraft unhurt. Crash was caused by a speck of dust in a nozzle-control air motor which caused momentary failure of the nozzles to follow pilot's commands while the aircraft was being mostly supported by engine lift.Aircraft Profile No. 198, The Hawker p. 1127 & Kestrel by Francis K. Mason - Profile Publications, 1966 - p. 10. 1 April 1965 Tripartite Evaluation Squadron Kestrel FGA1 XS696 Crashed on take-off at RAF West Raynham, but did not catch fire, although blanketed by foam as a precaution.carlin – eyewitness to the event when a member of the Evaluation Squadron, corroborated by Capt. J.J. Tyson, USN Retired, who was then Deputy Commander of the squadron.Halley 2001 p. 82 21 September 1967 Tripartite Evaluation Squadron Kestrel FGA1 XS693 Abandoned from Boscombe Down. 27 January 1969 Royal Air Force Harrier GR1 XV743 Crashed on takeoff from Dunsfold Aerodrome after loss of control. United States Air Force Major C. R. Rosburg was killed during ejection.Halley 2001 pp. 94–96 4 June 1969 Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Harrier T2 XW174 Engine failure during delivery flight near Boscombe Down. Duncan M. S. Simpson, a Hawker Siddeley test pilot was injured during ejection. 11 July 1970 Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Harrier T2 XW264 Written off after forced landing at Boscombe Down due to engine failure. Pilot survived with minor injuries.Halley 2001 p. 97 6 October 1970 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV796 Crashed after engine flameout at Ouston. Flight Lieutenant Neil Wharton ejected safely. 23 April 1971 No. 20 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV798 Written off after heavy landing at RAF Wildenrath, West Germany; pilot ejected safely. 18 June 1971 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 158386 Crashed into the Chesapeake Bay during a test flight; Major Michael J. Ripley did not eject and became the first serviceman killed in a Harrier crash in the United States. 3 August 1971 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV803 Flew into ground following nozzle failure at RAF Wattisham; United States Air Force Captain Louis V. Distelzwieg Jr. did not eject and was killed. 12 January 1972 No. 3 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XW918 Crashed following loss of control in cloud at Tuschenbroich, West Germany during a display flight for Swiss officials; Flight Lieutenant Christopher Maunder Humphrey was killed during ejection. 21 March 1972 Royal Air Force Harrier GR1 XV802 Flew into ground near Stadtoldendorf, West Germany; Flight Lieutenant Peter Anthony did not eject and was killed. 26 April 1972 Royal Air Force Harrier GR1 XV749 Crashed off the Lincolnshire coast following a bird strike, Flight Lieutenant J. Marshall ejected safely. 3 May 1972 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV777 Loss of control during transition from hover at RAF Wittering; Flying Officer C. J. E. Adams ejected safely. 4 May 1972 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV794 Crashed after bird strike near Hutten, West Germany; Air Commodore Peter Taylor ejected safely. 20 June 1972 No. 3 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XW920 Engine flame out over Sardinia due to fuel supply failure, Flight Lieutenant James Downey ejected safely. 27 June 1972 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV780 Crashed after engine fire near RAF Gutersloh, West Germany due to bird strike; Wing Commander McKee ejected safely. 12 September 1972 No. 233 OCU RAF Harrier GR1 XV799 Flew into hill near Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland after loss of control; Group Captain Jeremy Thorndike Hall did not eject and was killed. 27 March 1973 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 158388 Crashed after bird strike at MCAS Beaufort; Major R. E. O'Dare ejected safely. 10 April 1973 Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1 XV276 Crashed after engine failure near Dunsfold; Swiss Air Force Lieutenant Colonel H. Stauffer ejected safely. 9 July 1973 No. 20 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV791 Crashed on takeoff after bird strike at RAF Wildenrath; Squadron Leader P. G. Sturt ejected. 30 July 1973 Royal Air Force Harrier GR3 XV805 Crashed after engine failure near Coesfeld, West Germany; USMC Major J. Gibson ejected. 6 September 1973 No. 20 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV750 Crashed due to engine failure over Roermond, Netherlands; pilot ejected safely. 24 September 1973 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV739 Crashed due to loss of control during transition near Episkopi, Cyprus; Flight Lieutenant Hulley ejected but suffered a broken leg. 23 January 1974 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR1 XV739 Crashed due to fuel pump failure near Vredepeel, Netherlands; Flight Lieutenant Gorden Revell was killed during ejection due to parachute harness failure. 26 March 1974 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV785 Crashed due to loss of control during landing at RAF Wildenrath; Flight Lieutenant Andrew Robby Bloxham was killed during ejection. 16 May 1974 Royal Air Force Harrier GR3 XV800 Damaged beyond repair following bird strike at RAF Wildenrath. 5 June 1974 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier 158948 Rolled during landing at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Captain Richard H. Briggs did not eject and was killed. 5 June 1974 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159234 Crashed near MCAS Cherry Point. 27 July 1974 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 158971 Crashed during an air show hovering demonstration at General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee, WI causing the aircraft to burst into flames; Captain S. C. Torrent ejected but was injured. 9 October 1974 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159245 Crashed on landing due to landing gear collapse at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina; Captain Roy R. Dougherty ejected but was killed. 13 February 1975 United States Marine Corps AV-8A Harrier 159235 Crashed on takeoff due to mechanical failure at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina; Captain Richard F. Davis did not eject and was killed. 9 April 1975 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV776 Crashed due to engine failure near Ditton Priors, Shropshire; Flight Lieutenant J. Buckler ejected but sustained minor injuries. 16 May 1975 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV800 Crashed due to bird ingestion near RAF Wildenrath; pilot ejected. 3 July 1975 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159244 Crashed due to engine failure near MCAS Beaufort; Major Woody F. Gilliland ejected safely. 3 July 1975 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159236 Flew into the ground while trying to help locate a fellow pilot who had just successfully ejected; Captain Cleve B. Doster did not eject and was killed. 1 December 1975 No. 1417 Flight RAF Harrier GR3 XV788 Crashed due to bird ingestion near Belize City; Flying Officer B. C. Scott ejected and suffered minor injuries. 10 January 1976 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier 158709 Crashed during landing at NAS Jacksonville; Captain R. B. Pevey ejected safely. 19 January 1976 No. 233 OCU RAF Harrier GR3 XV745 Collided with XV754 during ground attack exercises in Cheshire, England; Flight Lieutenant James Edward Downey did not eject and was killed. 19 January 1976 No. 233 OCU RAF Harrier GR3 XV754 Collided with XV745 during ground attack exercises in Cheshire, England; Flight Lieutenant John Keith Roberts attempted to eject but was killed. 12 March 1976 Royal Air Force Harrier GR3 XV746 Flew into mountain in Norway; Flight Lieutenant Stephen David Wakely was killed during ejection. 11 June 1976 Spanish Navy EAV-8A Matador 008-2 Crashed at Whiteman AFB (USA) on take-off, pilot ejected. 16 June 1976 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159237 Crashed at sea due to engine failure; Captain E. B. Cummings ejected safely. 6 July 1976 No. 3 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XW770 Crashed due to engine failure near Borken, West Germany; Flight Lieutenant Kirton ejected safely.Halley 2001 p. 100 27 August 1976 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier 158957 Crashed due to engine failure on approach to MCAS Cherry Point; Captain J. W. Cox ejected safely. 30 August 1976 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 158974 Crashed due to fuel starvation on approach to MCAS Iwakuni; Captain A. A. Decandia ejected safely. 6 December 1976 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 159230 Crashed into the Sea of Japan during a training flight; Captain Donald P. Kaltenbaugh was killed. 11 February 1977 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier 158967 Crashed due to engine failure near NAS Fallon; Captain Gary Bain ejected safely. 19 March 1977 VMAT-203 AV-8A Harrier 159377 Crashed during transition at MCAS Cherry Point; pilot ejected safely. 6 April 1977 VMAT-203 AV-8A Harrier 159372 Crashed during transition with heavy crosswinds at MCAS Beaufort; pilot did not eject and was killed. 12 July 1977 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159250 Crashed into the Atlantic during a demonstration for several high-ranking government officials, including Navy Secretary Graham Claytor Jr. and Bert Lance, then director of the Office of Management and Budget who were observing from the carrier Saratoga; Captain Timothy C. Krepps did not eject and was killed. 27 July 1977 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier 158953 Crashed into the Bay River in the rain and exploded; Captain Anthony Franovich, Jr. did not eject and was killed. 25 August 1977 VMA-542 AV-8C Harrier 158707 Written off due to damage suffered in a crash at MCAS Cherry Point; pilot ejected safely. 6 September 1977 VMA-513 AV-8A Harrier 158970 Flew into a mountainside during a bombing training run at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Captain Charles G. Reed did not eject and was killed. 25 October 1977 No. 233 OCU RAF Harrier GR3 XV804 Written off due to damage from an emergency landing at RAF Spitalgate. 27 November 1977 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 159259 Written off due to damage from a crash at MCAS Cherry Point; pilot ejected safely. 29 November 1977 VMA-231 AV-8A Harrier 158708 Crashed at sea due to engine failure near Kadena Air Base; pilot ejected safely. 1 February 1978 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier Crashed due to engine failure near NAS Fallon; pilot ejected safely but sustained slight injuries. 3 February 1978 VMA-542 AV-8A Harrier Crashed due to engine failure near MCAS Cherry Point; pilot ejected safely but sustained slight injuries. 2 October 1978 VMA-513 AV-8C Harrier 158960 Flew into the ground inverted in the Chocolate Mountains east of California's Salton Sea during a bombing training run; Captain Joseph Gallo was killed. 6 October 1978 VMA-513 AV-8C Harrier 158961 Crashed due to fire warning near MCAS Yuma; pilot ejected safely. 15 December 1978 No. 3 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV801 Crashed due to loss of control near Ennigerich, West Germany; pilot ejected. 12 June 1979 No. 3 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV781 Crashed due to engine fire on approach to RAF Gutersloh; Flight Lieutenant T. R. Watts ejected safely. 18 July 1979 No. 4 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XZ137 Hit a house at Wissmar, West Germany; USMC Captain Thomas Pasquale was killed. 21 September 1979 No. 1 Squadron RAF Harrier GR3 XV757 Crashed due to collision with XZ128 over Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire;