A Royal Navy warship’s visit to Kenya finally gave the son of a sailor killed in one of the Fleet Air Arm’s worst accidents the opportunity to pay tribute at his memorial.
Chief Petty Officer Mark Potter was one of nine men from frigate HMS Brilliant killed in May 1989 when their Lynx helicopter crashed on its way to Mombasa airport in Kenya.
Thirty-five years later, his son David – also a chief petty officer, serving aboard HMS Lancaster – paid his first visit to Kenya and the Lynx crash memorial as he and shipmates held a highly-emotional remembrance service.
The Lynx from 829 Naval Air Squadron was heading to Mombasa airport to meet family and friends who had flown out from the UK while the Broadsword-class frigate was on a break from patrolling the Gulf.
Some 18 miles from its destination tragedy struck when the cabin door was opened. It broke off due to two missing ball bearings, struck the tail rotor which caused the rotor pylon to break off.
Impossible to control, the helicopter plunged into the scrub at Vipingo, killing all nine souls aboard.
Those who lost their lives were:
Lieutenant Commander Chris Fessey
Lieutenant Jon Williams
Chief Petty Officer Simon Banks-Popple
Chief Petty Officer Paul James
Chief Communications Yeoman Mark Potter
Chief Petty Officer Colin Simpson
Leading Seaman Colin Roy
Leading Regulator Philip Stevenson
Able Seaman John Savage