Puma ZE934 near Hudswell Grange, Richmond.
On 8th August 2007 this RAF helicopter was operating on an army training exercise with troops from Catterick Garrison. Twelve personnel were on board; three (or four - newspaper reports varied at the time) were RAF personnel based at RAF Benson and the remaining number were Army passengers who were soldiers from 1 Brigade, Infantry Training Battalion, Catterick. Just before 21.30hrs the aircraft crashed near Hudswell Grange, to the south-west of Richmond and two RAF personnel were killed in the crash. Everyone else was also injured to varying degrees and all were taken to hospitals across the region where one Army recruit sadly died later from his injuries in hospital on 10th August 2007. In October 2009 the Coroner attributed blame on the pilots for low-flying which was a major factor in this crash occurring.
Pilot - F/Lt David Oxer Hanson Sale RAF (8701201W), aged 28, Originally from Norton, Stockton on Tees. Killed. Burial location unknown.
Loadmaster - Sgt Phillip Anthony Burfoot RAF (T8440301), aged 27, of Cardiff, Wales. Killed. Burial location unknown.
Passenger - Pte. Sean Tait (Royal Reg. of Scotland) (30025811), aged 17, of Castlemilk, Glasgow. Buried Linn Cemetery, Glasgow (died 10th August 2007).
Co-Pilot - F/Lt Robert Hamilton. Seriously injured.
Crewman - F/Lt Paul Thomas Carlon RAF (8701226F). Injured.
Passenger - Christopher Hamilton, aged 19, of Kirkaldy, Fife. Injured.
Passenger - John Falconer, aged 21, of Buckhaven, Fife. Seriously injured.
Passenger - Dahrll Duncan, aged 19 of Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Seriously injured.
The remaining survivors names were not released by the MoD. The ranks of those injured and named are not known but they were probably all Privates.
David Sale was born on 2nd April 1979, he received his commission in the RAF to the rank of P/O on 6th October 2002. He was promoted to F/O exactly a year later and
rose to F/Lt on 6th April 2004.
Phillip Burfoot was born on 27th December 1979.
Sean Tait was born on 2nd Fabruary 1990, he died of his injuries on 10th August 2007.