Date:	Thursday 15 December 1955
Time:	10:00 LT
Type:	Bristol 171 Sycamore HR.14
Owner/operator:	275 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XG501
MSN:	13246
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bell Rock Lighthouse, Inchcape Rock, off coast of Fife, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife (ADX/EGQL)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Written off 12/12/1955: Tragedy struck the Bell Rock when the crew of the RAF Sycamore Helicopter were lost while involved in a goodwill gesture. An account of the incident by C E Cadger, the Superintendent at the time is as follows:-

"Helicopter from Leuchars base on routine training flights frequently passed over the Bell Rock and occasionally as a friendly gesture would lower a bundle of newspapers, magazines and such like to the keepers, provided the weather and sea conditions made it possible for the Lightkeepers to receive the gifts while standing on the landing grating well clear of the tower. This exercise was much appreciated by the keepers and no doubt provided useful experience for the Airmen.

On 15 December 1955 a helicopter circled the rock and the indications were that the crew intended to drop something, but as heavy seas were sweeping over the landing grating it was not possible for the keepers to venture there.

The airmen thereupon elected to embark on a hazardous and intricate operation, namely to lower what they had intended to deliver on the top of the dome, where the three keepers went to accept delivery.

While manoeuvring into position over the lighthouse something went wrong and the keepers were horrified to see that helicopter plunged out of control in their direction; by a miracle the keepers escaped uninjured, but the "copter in its descent hit the copper dome a glancing blow denting but not piercing the plating, ripped off a large section of the cast iron gutter surrounding the lantern, wrenched off the steel ladder between the balcony and the dome, demolished a number of plate glass lantern panes, distorting some of the bronze astragals, and carrying away handrails and other fittings before crashing on the rock base of the tower 130 feet below.

The three Lightkeepers scrambled down the lantern framework as best they could and made the their way down to the lighthouse doorway, and from this vantage point about 30 feet above the rock, looked down on the battered wreck of the helicopter, partially submerged and being buffeted by the heavy seas breaking over the reef.

It became apparent that the wreck could not remain for long under the existing weather conditions, it was also apparent that one of the RAF men was still in the wrecked machine, but to reach him under prevailing conditions was seemingly impossible; nevertheless an attempt was made.

Mr Wood was the smallest of the three lightkeepers, but what he lacked in stature he more than made up for in courage, fastened a life line round his middle while the other Assistant held the rest of the line. He then proceeded down the bronze ladder from the doorway into the maelstrom below, watched his chance between the oncoming seas, made a dive for it, and managed somehow to enter the swaying wreck. Unfortunately the airman had not survived the crash and there was nothing Wood could do except make his way back to the safety of the lighthouse doorway if he could; his luck held and he had barely joined his companions when a huge wave swept over the reef, lifted the wrecked machine bodily and carried it away into deep water. It was never seen again."

The tragic loss of the RAF crew cast a gloom over the Bell Rock, as it undoubtedly did over the Leuchars base. The friendly flashing light from the lightroom was extinguished as a result of the accident (as though it too was in mourning for the loss), and was probably the only time the light was not exhibited during the 158 years of its existence, except for periods during the war years.

The Bell Rock without its customary light created a very real danger to shipping and a warning to mariners was broadcast accordingly and immediate steps were taken to have a temporary light installed until repairs to the building could be carried out and the main light made serviceable. This however was greatly hampered by a succession of gales which prevented a landing being made.

It was not until 20 December that weather conditions eased sufficiently for a landing to be effected with a motor boat from MV MAY and another from MV PHAROS standing by in case of emergency.

The two RAF crew members that were lost with the crash of Sycamore XG501 were:
Flight Sergeant Percy Albert Beart RAF (pilot, aged 33, Service Number 1335520) - killed on active service 15/12/55, body never found/not recovered, memorial stone at Sheerness (Isle-Of-Sheppey) Cemetery, Sheerness, Kent
Sergeant Edward Francis Hall RAF (Navigator, aged 31, Service Number 1811909) - killed on active service 15/12/55 (died of injuries sustained - see below), buried at Plaxtol Churchyard, Plaxtol, Sevenoaks, Kent.

According to an account of the recovery of the crew's bodies (see link #12): "In response to the distress signal, four aircraft, a further two Sycamore helicopters from R.A.F. Leuchars, in addition to which No.1112 MCU at R.A.F. Tayport, Fife responded and despatched R.A.F. Rescue Launches No. 361 and No. 365 to the scene of the accident. At approximately 14:00 hours the Coastguards informed the Lifeboat Station at Anstruther, Fife, that R.A.F. Rescue Launch 361 had picked Sgt Edward Francis Hall who was badly injured, and requested the immediate attendance of a Doctor. Responding to the call for a Doctor, the Anstruther lifeboat the ‘James and Ruby Jackson’ was dispatched with a Doctor onboard her. ‘The James and Ruby Jackson’ met R.A.F. Rescue Launch 361 off the coast of Crail, where the Doctor and a lifeboat crew member went onboard, following which the launch went at full throttle to Anstruther where an ambulance was waiting for Sgt Edward Hall, and the launch arrived at Anstruther at about 15:00 hours, but by that time Sgt Edward Hall had sadly succumbed to his injuries. Sadly, the body of Flight Sgt Percy Beart was not recovered.

According to one source (see link #4) "even as late as the spring of 1974 there were visible dents in the dome of the Bell Rock Tower"

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.176 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 37)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.170
4. The Lighthouse: The Mystery of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Keepers By Keith McCloskey
5. http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/bellrock.htm
6. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1955/dec/20/helicopter-crash-bell-rock-lighthouse
7. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1955.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Rock_Lighthouse#1955_helicopter_accident
9. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XG
10. https://www.twgpp.org/photograph/view/3407689
11. http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/PLAXTOL.pdf
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1955%E2%80%931959)#1955

#OnThisDay 15th December 1955 - Bristol Sycamore XG501 from 275 Sqn @RoyalAirForce SAR crashed at Bell Rock Lighthouse, Scotland with the loss of two crew - Flight Sergeant P. A. Beart & Sergeant E. F. Hall. pic.twitter.com/8hOYJCumFS

— Cllr Cameron Beart - #StayAlertSaveLives (@CllrCABeart) December 15, 2019

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Apr-2013 19:42	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-Jun-2020 21:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
07-Jun-2020 15:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]