Buccaneer S.Mk.2 - XN978
Andy Marrs (pilot) and Bob Kemp (Nav) were demonstrating air-to-air refueling behind a Victor tanker at low level at the Paris Air Show! The effect of being ‘plugged in’ at low level in the turbulence that existed and vulnerable to the jet wake from the Victor meant that the Bucc was bumping around and eventually bounced one too many times for the pilot and crashed. Both ejected. Andy Marrs came down in his parachute into the fireball but, thankfully, the heat raised him up and the wind carried him clear – he had significant singeing! Bob Kemp walked away and was last seen climbing on board a C-130 to bring him home with a ‘bottle and 200’ which he had managed to acquire albeit he had never been intended to set foot in France on that sortie (or so the story goes)! We were never allowed to do low level tanking demonstrations whilst ‘plugged in’ ever again.