No fatalities

Ditching in Irish Sea After Right Engine Fire and Detachment (253)

Irish Sea, WorldFlight

On September 14, 1978, a Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic (registration 253) operated by Royal Netherlands Navy - Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD) was involved in an aviation accident near Irish Sea, World in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: In-flight fire of the right engine for unknown reasons. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A maritime patrol airplane experienced a right engine fire over the Irish Sea. The engine detached while diverting to RAF Machrihanish. The crew ditched the airplane south of Scotland; all 14 occupants rescued.

Incident

A maritime patrol airplane was conducting a flight over the Irish Sea when the right engine caught fire. The pilot decided to divert to RAF Machrihanish, located on the west coast of the Mull of Kintyre. However, a few minutes later, the right engine detached from the aircraft.

Ditching and Rescue

The crew eventually ditched the airplane a few kilometers south of the Scottish coast. All 14 occupants were rescued successfully. The aircraft subsequently sank and was lost.

Findings

The official investigation determined the probable cause to be an in-flight fire of the right engine for unknown reasons.