On 17th June 1987 this Tornado was one of two 20 Squadron aircraft flying a low level training flight. As they crossed the Lake District they flew down Thirlmere heading roughly north before making a turn to fly west at the northern end of the reservoir to avoid Keswick and had then planned to fly north up Lake Bassethwaite. Tornado ZA493 was the lead aircraft and the second aircraft was following it slightly higher and to one side. As they made the climbing turn to the west at the end of Thirlmere the pilot of the following Tornado noticed two Jaguars approaching from the west and flying towards the lead Tornado. The lead Tornado struck the lead Jaguar and it was thought that neither crews had seen the other aircraft prior to the collision. The Jaguars were flying from the west and were climbing to fly over ridge of high ground between Derwent Water and Thirlmere. Both aircraft were effectively out of the eyeline of each other with the other aircraft either been hidden behind high ground or being below the nose of the aircraft being flown. The crew of the Tornado were able to eject from the aircraft and landed in trees below Walla Crag. The Tornado crashed nearby in a field near Deerclose Cottages and broke up in the field, crossed the main Borrowdale road and came to rest in a field just up from Derwent Water. The navigator received back injuries as a result of the ejection but the pilot appears to have escaped injury. This crash site appears to be well known in the district and the incident was witnessed by a number of local people. The details surrounding Jaguar XZ116 are recorded on its own webpage.
Pilot - F/Lt Neil John Campion BSc RAF (2621601T). Ejected.
Navigator - F/Lt J S Head (Probably F/Lt John Stewart Head RAF (2626886D)). Ejected.
The Tornado struck the ground in this field.
Neil Campion received a commission in the RAF on 19th September 1976 to the rank of Acting P/O and was graded as P/O on 15th July 1977 (with seniority of 15th October 1975). He was promoted to F/O on 15th January 1978 (with senioity of 15th April 1976) and to F/Lt on 15th October 1978. He transferred to the RAF Reserve on 15th July 1989 and reliquished his commission on 15th July 1993 in the RAF Reserve of Officers.
John Head received a commission in the RAF to the rank of P/O on 29th November 1981 (with seniority of 29th August 1980) and was promoted to F/O on 29th May 1982 (with senioity of 29th February 1982) and to F/Lt on 29th August 1983.