A former Royal Navy engineer is taking the Ministry of Defence to court, seeking £500,000 in damages after he claims his hearing was permanently destroyed by the deafening noise of an American-made stealth jet landing just metres away from him on an aircraft carrier.
The Incident on the Flight Deck
In June 2021, Harry Jefferson, then 27, was working as an air engineer technician on the flight deck of the supercarrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. He was refuelling a Merlin helicopter when a supersonic F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter began its vertical landing procedure. Despite attempting to turn his head away, Jefferson was exposed to extreme levels of noise and heat as the Mach 1.6 jet touched down a matter of metres from his position.
A colleague working alongside him that day, Reece Colwell, 25, was also caught in the same incident. Both men were wearing standard ear defenders and foam plugs, but the sheer force of the F-35's engine was overwhelming. Their legal team argues they should have been ordered to a safe place inside the carrier before the jet's arrival.
Lasting Damage and Career Loss
The immediate aftermath was severe. Both men reported pain, ringing in their ears, and a noticeable change in their hearing. The following day, they formally reported hearing difficulties and were later diagnosed with 'explosive ear trauma'. An official defence air safety report confirmed their exposure to dangerous levels of noise and heat.
While Colwell has been able to continue his naval service, Jefferson's injuries proved career-ending. The permanent hearing damage, which includes tinnitus and difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments, led to him being declared 'medically limited deployable' in April 2022. Feeling his promotion prospects were ruined, Jefferson made the difficult decision to quit the Royal Navy.
Legal Battle and MoD Admission
At a pre-trial hearing at Central London County Court, barrister Stuart McCracken told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon that Jefferson's claim, due to the loss of his career at a young age, could exceed £500,000. Colwell's claim is expected to be substantially smaller as his career continues.
Significantly, the Ministry of Defence has admitted a breach of duty, accepting that the two engineers should not have been working so close to the landing jet. However, the level of compensation is set to be contested at a full trial. Legal costs are already high, with the claimants' bills around £326,000 and the MoD's around £117,000.
The case, which centres on allegations of negligence for allowing the refuelling operation to coincide with the hazardous landing, is scheduled for trial at a later date unless a settlement is reached out of court.
