Flt Lt Slim Pocock's Canberra ejection

[longer ron]

Related to this thread...

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/474740-ee-canberra-book-contributor-request.html

I was looking for details about Slim Pococks ejection from a 231 OCU Canberra on the 13th (or maybe 15th) of march 1973 - these are some sketchy details I posted on the original thread...


Probably a student crew of Pilot and Nav,night flying in a B2 (possibly WJ677?) on finals into Cottesmore and letting down through an icing layer - suffer a double flame out...pilot tries relight but no luck.
He then orders nav to eject (slow ejection sequence on canberras so don't leave it too late !),nav bangs out successfully but pilot then tries another relight and guess what - both engines light up and he lands successfully
Meanwhile nobody has told the line control about the ejection...ground crew marshals a/c into parking bay thinking WTF is that big pole sticking out of the fuselage ???
Also meanwhile navs SARBE fails to operate and he is missing,station call out for troops to try to locate said nav,all get very muddy LOL (I missed that bit - being out with a minidressed young lady )...I believe the nav was eventually found safe and sound by a USAF chopper.
In the cold light of day - during the ejection sequence the leg restraints had pulled out a large portion of the nav compartment floor and I believe the a/c was catogarised as Cat 2(assist) although really it was probably effectively Cat 3!

All from memory and happy to be corrected in the likely event of mistakes etc


I later added...

The Nav MAY have been Flt Lt 'Slim' Pocock and the a/c MAY have been B2 WJ677...looking on the ejection website gives a date of either 13/15 march 1973

I am fairly sure that it was Slim Pocock...so does anybody know Slim or the identity of the pilot involved.

Here is a photo of Slim later in the 70's whilst on 207

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=flt%20lt%20slim&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk%2Fdevons%2F2 07sqn_1979C.htm&ei=c40_T5n3MISd8gPNtMWmCA&usg=AFQjCNEez29AIa_L_ZS9xgyskJN1kjgRhg

Happy to be corrected on any details...it was a long time ago when I had black hair...I was a rigger on 231 at that time.

rgds LR

[old-timer]

I was on camp at Cottesmore around that time & I remember during our visit they spoke about a recent safe ejection due to a double flameout on a Canberra & the Nav's name was F/Lt Pocock from memory so this ties up with your details posted - good to hear more details about it & glad he got out ok.
On another posting to West Raynham the previous year (1972) the outcome was not so good & a Canberra crew had been lost the week before, which was very sad.

[Tinribs]

The canberra crew from WR were on a formation departure which meant turning fairly quickly to avoid a PM area

The no 2 became disorientated in the turn and crashed in a field, 2 100 Sqn dead

I was on a pilot on 100 at the time

[4PON4PIN]

In reference photo, I would suggest front row second from left is Mike Greenland who also served on 46Sqn. Anyone confirm?

[old-timer]

Thanks for background Tinribs, a sad day for 100 Sqn.
I seem to remember there were some TT Canberras from 85 qn based there also at the time.

We were up that way a couple of years ago but WR is derelict & full of weeds now - sad.

[longer ron]

In reference photo, I would suggest front row second from left is Mike Greenland who also served on 46Sqn. Anyone confirm?

It says Mike Greenland under the photo if that helps :ok:

Thanks for replies so far...anybody know Slim Pocock or perhaps any of the staff navs from 231 around that time ?By PM if you prefer.
It would be great to hear from either pilot or nav or indeed any confirmation about the circumstances from aircrew/groundcrew based at cottesmore at that time

rgds LR

PS Old Timer...yes 85 were also at WR,I believe they were absorbed into 100 sqn approx around the time of the move to marham.ISTR that there were still a few a/c with the 'thrupenny bit' on the tail when we moved 231 into marham.

[redsetter]

The following from the DFS Quarterly Report adds some background:

13 Mar 73 Canberra Mk B2 WJ677

At the start of a radar approach, both engines wound down and did not respond to immediate efforts to relight. The navigator was instructed to eject and did so at some 400 feet and 160 knots. Almost immediately, however, the engine wound up again and the pilot accomplished a normal PAR and safe landing.

Earlier in the sortie, because of an undercarriage malfunction the aircraft had been flown in icing conditions fix several minutes with both engines at 6800 RPM. When engine power was lost, neither occupant observed a generator failure; in this aircraft, generators come off line below 3000 RPM. When the prescribed drill had failed to cure the undercarriage problem (a residual nosewheel “red” after retraction) the pilot lowered the landing gear vide the standard emergency drill and was thus committed to an approach, with 6800 RPM, through icing conditions.

Without prejudice to the outcome of the Board of Inquiry, it is though unlikely that flame-out had occurred, but rather that engine surge was induced by ice in the intakes and that normal operation was restored by the pilot’s eventual action in closing the throttles. The AOC has emphasised to operators of Canberras not provided with engine anti-icing the need, in icing conditions, to avoid the RPM range 6250 to 7250 (6000 to 7000, pre Avon Mod 5278) even if for other reasons and contrary to FRCs, the undercarriage is down.

The aircraft damage calls for a Category 3 repair.

[Dan Winterland]

I'm pretty sure it was Slim. He and my dad were good mates on a previous Canberra Sqn in the NEAF and I remeber my dad telling me that Slim had ejected around this time.

There's also another story that the PAR controller saw the seat depart the aircraft on the PAR scope and when he realised the rescue crews were looking in the wrong place, went out in his own car and found Slim himself.

[longer ron]

Redsetter
Thanks very much for posting those details,I will do some more digging and see if I can get more !!

rgds LR

Dan W
Yes I have heard that story too,but I believe there was a USAF rescue copter involved (Alconbury ?),I will do some more digging !

rgds LR

[Tinribs]

On the early canberra marks B2/T4 there was no engine ant ice system

The problem was that ice accretion would inhibit the movement of the inlet guide vanes causing the fuel/air mixture arrangements to go wrong

The tecnique was to fly at all times during the approach with a fixed power setting, about 5600 I think, which kept the vanes agitating enough to prevent ice jamming

Speed was gradually reduced on approach using speed brakes bomb doors gear flaps to achieve a reasonable threshold speed

We never really talked about doing it on 1 engine but I spose it would have been dead tricky

[1.3VStall]

Longer Ron,

I believe the pilot was Andy Miller. He is long since retired from the RAF, but is an active member of the Bannerdown Gliding Club at Keevil.

[Victor1a]

I was OC GD Flt at the time. The Controller was Ted ( Turner ??) an ex pilot and QFI at Cranwell. He owned a Jensen Intercepter and I remember him hammering out of the main gate. I also remember it as very cold evening and everyone was worried about the effect of this on Slim during the long delay in finding him. From memory Ted did get the search teams into the correct area where he was eventually found

[Dan Winterland]

It was Ted Hudson.

Didn't know the pilot was Andy Miller. I knew Andy well - a gliding pal.

[Victor1a]

It was Ted Hudson. Thanks for the memory jog.

[AR1]

Miller ex C130?

[Tinribs]

Andy, I left my smile in the Guto honkatorium. Miller?

[Dan Winterland]

''Miller ex C130?''

Yes. And before that F4s and Hawk QFI.

But please do feel free to tell the story from Guttersloh. (I left my dignity in that device!)

[Tinribs]

The Andy I knew used the famouse device and later found his front plate was missing, presumably down the hole

No volunteers to get it back

[Dan Winterland]

Would love to know where Slim is now - I was talking to my Mum who asked. Our two families were good friends in the 60s and I used to play with Slim's daughter. (Get your minds out of the gutter - we were both five!).

[longer ron]

Thanks for the replies so far,sorry I have not had time to do any more chasing up at the moment...hopefully in a couple of weeks ??

rgds baz

[megadavid]

Hi Dan,
I realise this is 12 years after your quest to find 'Slim' Pocock, but I'm on a similar quest myself. Did you manage to find out anything about him and his whereabouts? I'm hoping he is still alive.
My father Sqdr Ldr John Aubrey Williams was on the Vulcans with him and sadly dad died recently and I'm trying to contact all his old mates to let them know.

[RetiredBA/BY]

Bloody disgrace the Canberra was never equipped with engine ant-ice when the igvs were prone to ice. Nearly killed me when I had an ice induced engine surge and rundown at 500 feet on an imc GCA. Too low to eject the nav but as I added power to the "good" engine it too surged and ran down, fortunately the first engine then responded and gave enough power to get us to the runway WAY below the GCA glide slope.

All that in T4 on a QFI check, too, but at least I passed that check !

More frights in 2 years on Canberras (fires, double flameouts etc) than 25 years flying airliners, with just a single engine failure on a VC10 and nothing exciting on 20 years on Boeings!