During the morning of 7th March 1984 this helicopter was being flown on a navigation exercise so that the student pilot could undertake a simulation of picking up troops. The company was employed by the Army to undertake such work. While making a turn to land at a selected the student lost control and the aircraft struck the ground and rolled on to its side. The AAIB accident report for this incident is very detailed, it stated that the location of this incident was around three miles south of Alston. I have now received two emails to suggest that a Gazelle crashed inside the Warcop range area and tentatively link G-SFTA with this incident.
2 Crew - Names unknown. Slight injuries.
It was later lifted off the hillside by another helicopter to Carlisle and is now displayed as a restored exhibit at the Sunderland Air Museum. Earlier in its life it was registered on the UK civilian register in the 1970s as G-BAGJ but sold to a Swiss owner in 1979. It was re-registered as G-SFTA on the UK register on 10th September 1982 when Specialist Flying Training Ltd obtained it.