That was 25th September 1958. The occasion was the arrival of an operational Scimitar squadron (803) onboard the newly commissioned HMS Victorious, so the 'gentlemen' of the press were onboard to watch events.
Cdr Russell was the CO of 803, and his Scimitar (XD240) was the first to land. The no.1 arrestor wire pulled out and parted as he was completing his landing roll and the aircraft rolled off the end of the deck 'at walking pace' into the sea. The rescue diver from the SAR helicopter - onscene in seconds - actually sat on the sinking aircraft to try and get the canopy open but to no avail.
The above picture and other similar ones were front page material in the press of the next day - before the family had been informed.
Divers recovered the nose section and Cdr Russell's body four weeks later and underwater escape training was improved as a result of the investigation. Trials of ejections through the canopy were carried out in 1959, resulting in the fitting of canopy breakers to the head box of the seat. Underwater ejection trials did not take place until 1962.