Eye Witness

[dctyke]

Reading the thread 'Just In Time' and watching the vids brought back memories of AC crashes I had witnessed. Amazingly during my time I have seen 5 first hand and all of the crew got away with it.

Number one was in the late 70's at Laarbruch. From the armoury car park I had a great view of the 2 Sqn T bird doing a wheels up along the runway and the ejection(s). I believe the SEngO was in the back seat.

Number two was in 83? Returning from the Martel site at Marham I got to see a fully loaded Victor Tanker burst into flames on the runway whilst taking off. The crew all managed to escape the biggest bonfire ever in Norolk.

Three was a Starfighter falling short of the runway at Deci about 90ish, he banged out ok.

Four and five were both whilst I was working on 1 Sqn Pan at Wittering in the 90's. Firstly one of our GR5s went sliding by with Flt Lt H....... dangling on his chute obove.

The last on I witnessed was surely the most unexpected, a Hurricane from the BoBF. Hearing the state two tannoy we all went on the pan as it was such an rare ac call. Watching it stall and burst into flames as it hit the ground we thought the pilot had no chance, thankfully he got out.

So the moral of the tale. If any of you out there decide to do the dirty with your ac, best make sure I'm watching and you will be fine;)

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

As per the old joke: I think you're bad luck!

[Jumping_Jack]

Can't compete with 5 but the one I saw was all rather surreal. Waiting at the lights on the peritrack at Chiv (the main gate was closed for refurb) a Hawk was on finals over the estuary. All looked OK until it started to drift lower, then the pilot banged out leaving the aircraft to land short and skid accross the peritrack about 30 yards in front of us! The tide was out so the pilot got rather muddy :E

[30mRad]

I equally cannot compare with 5, but sadly saw the BAe Hawk at Bratislava in 1999. As others have said, it was surreal watching the display and realising (well) ahead of the crash that it was going to happen and willing to no avail that the pilot step over the side. RIP.

[dead_pan]

My count is four - once I was working at a company in Bicester in the early 90s (when Upper Heyford was still operational) I happened to step outside to witness an F-111 in its final throes of crashing, trailing a great tongue of flame (the crew attempted to dump fuel before they left with the cockpit). The a/c came down in a factory car park just outside the town. Fortunately there were no injuries although I recall one bloke had a lucky escape - typical story of 'the plane just kept getting bigger' before he dove under a parked car.

Three display crashes - Yak-18 at White Waltham (no injuries), Sea Fury at Prestwick (gear stuck - pilot bailed out over the Clyde), and the Spirit of St Louis replica at Coventry (my only fatality). Oh, I suppose the G222 scrape at RIAT a few years back also counts.

[SOSL]

At Akrotiri in 1984 (IIRC) I watched the Sparrows opposition loop with growing horror as it became obvious one of them was going to hit the ground and then he did!

Big thump, all sorts of debris going in all directions and then to our amazement a single figure, in flying suit, walking away from the wreckage.

I think his name was CH for those who remember. I often wondered what happened to him afterwards, particularly as to his chances on the national lottery!

I also watched the display F4 spear in, at Abingdon in 1989. Really big thump and I hadn't fully understood the meaning of "fireball" until that instant. RIP.

Rgds SOS

[Lightning Mate]

I hadn't really understood the meaning of "fireball" until that instant.

I do - my 'chute opened directly above it.

[Tinribs]

Saw the strange thing or two in twenty years but only one really odd

I was flying a Victor tanker past Binbrook one morning to pick up two lightnings for a a Queens birthday flypast at Scampton, 1968 ish.

One fighter joined up nicely the other went past turned upside down and tentpegged, spoiled the show a bit. I went to the funeral.

The BOI found the pilots harness was insecure, v odd

[Lightning Mate]

That, I think, was Al Davey.

[green granite]

I've seen 3, the Atlantique hitting the black sheds at Farnborough, watching him in the final turn thinking that's an awful lot of side-slip to have that near the ground, an auto-gyro that took it's own tail off with it's rotor, also at Farnborough and RAE's Buccaneer at West Freugh, one minute he was steaming in at low level, the next he wasn't, very sad.

[billynospares]

I have witnessed a harrier run out of fuel in the hover. A hawk rotate too early and dissappear into the trees next to the runway, not one but two seakings splat into the deck and a hunter with a throttle restriction get the landing horribly wrong. All crew survived virtually unscathed thank goodness

[AGS Man]

SOSL
You are quite right about it being CH, I always remembered his Hunter displays pre Reds. I believe he left the Reds after that and was in Oman. I've been lucky and only witnessed one which was the Lightning at Akrotiri in 1987 I think with a safe ejection. I've seen quite a few ground mishaps, particularly with Arresting gear and Barriers, one that comes to mind was a 56 Sqn Phantom at the end of a MPC at Valley in 1980, blew a tyre, engaged the RHAG and proceeded into the sand dunes! A similar one just last year with an F15 engaging a BAK 14 way off centreline and proceeding into the desert being finally brought to a halt by an electric transformer! Happy outcomes on both so I suppose the old adage is true, any landing you walk away from is a good one!

[snapper41]

Two for me; a Canberra PR9 going off the end of the runway at Marham circa 2002, and a Reds Hawk landing 'wheels up' at Cranwell in 2008.

[Whenurhappy]

The only mishaps I witnessed were at RNZAF Woodbourne c 1986, when on the first occasion I was the Orderly Officer when a SafeAir Argosy had undercarriage problems and after attempting the free the landing gear, it did a graceful approach (well, as much as an Argosy could) and executed belly landing on the grass strip. The Capt was a very well-known pilot, Bob Guard who was famously invovled in the Kaikoura UFO incidents in late 1978/early 1979. Nothing for me to do apart from taking some pictures for my album. Now where are those pics...?

A little later in the year we had an Airshow and there was a parachuting display. One of the 'chutes candled and there was an audible gasp across the crowd as the chute descended and then impacted. Fortunately, the jumper managed to cut away and descend on his reserve, as part of a group display, so it wasn't immediately apparent to onlookers that the chute was free (it was over the other side of the airfield). It was, for me as a 24 year old Fg Off, the first really stomach-churning moment of my life.

[Vzlet]

The collision of the Vintage Pair Meteor and Vampire at the 1986 Mildenhall Air Fete. Seeing two good chutes made everyone feel better and it wasn't until that evening that I found out that there were two aboard each aircraft.
Photos: De Havilland DH-115 Vampire T11 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/De-Havilland-DH-115/0305441/L/)
Photos: De Havilland DH-115 Vampire T11 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/De-Havilland-DH-115/0305442/L/)

Ramstein in 1988 was far worse.
Photos: Aermacchi MB-339PAN Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Italy---Air/Aermacchi-MB-339PAN/0523878/M/)
Photos: Aermacchi MB-339PAN Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Italy---Air/Aermacchi-MB-339PAN/0523843/M/)

The Mig-29 collision at Fairford was miraculous in the low number of injuries. (And I was quite impressed by the Patrioulle Suisse taking off for their performance 20 minutes after watching Fulcrums rain down around them!) No pictures of that because I was videoing.

[Tiger_mate]

I watched a Bulldog spin-in into Southport beach, 1977 IIRC, and then another landed alongside and nosed over on the sand. I thought they were models and neither looked for nor saw 'chutes, but I believe the 'spinner' was abandoned by the crew.

Saw a Frecce Tricolori Fiat G91 stoof at Mildenhall in about 79 - RIP. The Frecce display continued afterwards. All very surreal.

I witnessed a Canberra B2 suffer v low altitude asymetric power at Stornoway in 1979 at which time the pilot chopped the throttles leveled the wings and started "Our father.....". The aircraft missed the ILS by about 15` and damage was limited to shock loading the undercarriage when it turned onto the taxiway after a journey across the grass.

I was one of the first post 747 crash at Lockerbie which was probably worse than watching it.

[Shack37]

All getting a bit morbid here gents, have a thought for those involved, not as "eye witnesses":rolleyes:

[sisemen]

OK. Lighten up. All survived but it was spectacular.

Finningley (68?) I was walking along the peri track by the Finningley 8 on the run between ECMSDF in the electronics block and BCDU HQ behind 1 hangar when the Vulcan which was starting up started to collapse.

The crew chief, who was underneath the wing, tried a couple of runs with the aircraft coming down on top of him but eventually got out before it squashed him. Then the aircraft broke into three; the canopy blew off; and the crew vaulted over the windscreen, slid down the nose coaming and off the refuelling probe and hightailed it for the armoury

[SOSL]

Good point, Shack. However, most posters, on this thread, seem to be pretty respectful. Accidents are an ever present element of aviation. Sadly that's how we make it better.

We have to be free to talk about accidents.

Rgds SOS

[Shack37]

hightailed it for the armoury


For the best cuppa on the station:)

[Halton Brat]

Glad to say that in 41yrs in this business, I have never witnessed a crash/abandonment/major incident.

Profoundly hope it stays that way.

HB

[27mm]

Valley open day - Ray Knowles arrives in his trusty Lightning for a static display, complete with a lot of Sqn gizzits. One main gear leg won't come down and Ray has to eject, being careful to point the jet at ROI, of course....;)

[Fareastdriver]

The first one i remember was at the Empire Air Day at Aldergrove in about 1948/9. Somebody was doing aerobatics in a Tiger Moth and he did a perfect 0.75 of a loop before stomping into the ground. He waded out of the wreckage; and everybody applauded.

They then put it on a trolley and towed it around the crowd so that they could see what a crashed aeroplane looked like.

It was nearly as interesting as the first jet aircraft so come to Ireland; a Meteor.

[RS15]

Ternhill tower on QHI course watching baby rotary studes whilst waiting for my turn. Enter 1 squirrel yawing rapidly and climbing ......up........then down. 1 Squirrel reduced to kit form. Few rapidly moving DHFS instructors. Stude in pub later.

[teeteringhead]

Valley open day - Ray Knowles arrives in his trusty Lightning for a static display, complete with a lot of Sqn gizzits. I was just going to mention that one! Must have been '79 or '80? I'd taken a static too and saw the whole thing. SARBo(u)ys were just about waiting for him when he jumped - think he only got wet from the waist down. And got back to the bar .......

Prolly wouldn't allow that these days.....!

[Brian 48nav]

Driving home from happy hour at Temple Hill OM Changi, 68/9 and noticed foam being laid on the runway. RMAF Herald with IIRC a nosewheel problem - great landing and not a mark on the fuselage.

Pisa '71 - awful red flash when one of the Hercs ahead of us flew into the sea at night; 6 crew killed (including PJI) and 40 plus Italian paratroops. RIP.

Nothing notable in my civil ATC career, thank goodness, except a Sea Fury ground looping at Boscombe c85/6.

PS Nearly forgot - October 12th '67 3 engined landing in XV179 when trainee skipper reversed the wrong two engines and we veered to the right off the runway. Ice cool instructor in right hand seat really impressed this baby navigator, he managed to simultaneously tx to ATC,'XYZ is leaving the runway','I have control' to my skipper, sort out the throttles and bring us to a halt just before we would have dropped off the grass onto the beach 7 or 8 feet below. One Laurie (Lorenzo) Martin, later of Cathay.

[Al R]

If it was you who jumped out of the Lightning at Akrotiri in July 87, thanks - my mum still wants a word (I was running away from it as it drifted in). I saw the Hurricane at Wittering too (that was a surreal tannoy message) and I remember Steve H getting a nice pat on the back for getting Tim E out of the Harrier that suffered a failure in the hover (GR3?).

[acmech1954]

'I witnessed a Canberra B2 suffer v low altitude asymetric power at Stornoway in 1979 at which time the pilot chopped the throttles leveled the wings and started "Our father.....". The aircraft missed the ILS by about 15` and damage was limited to shock loading the undercarriage when it turned onto the taxiway after a journey across the grass'

I remember it well, we were stood on the pan waiting for it to appear from the same direction as the others, when appeared from behind the hangar from totally the wrong direction, to our amazement. The next few days where spent crawling all over it taking lots of measurements to see how bent it was, and it proved to still be within limits, just goes to prove what a tough old bird the old canberra was.

[ex-fast-jets]

5 Harriers, and 1 Jaguar.

4 survivors - 1 fatal - 1 VSI

I remember Steve H getting a nice pat on the back for getting Tim E out of the Harrier that suffered a failure in the hover (GR3?).

The latter, VSI one - was a GR3, albeit in the GR5 era - and if Steve H was the one who got Tim out of the cockpit/fireball, then a true hero!!.

For those that do not know Tim E - one of the most inspiring young men you could ever wish to meet/know.

[ShyTorque]

I was in the static display area by the Puma when the Russian Mig29s collided. It was one of those "slow motion" events; I knew it was probably going to happen about four or five seconds in advance (it was obvious that the pilot of the lower aircraft had lost sight of the aircraft above him due to a small amount of cloud that passed between them and they were on a direct collision path). Despite being a "static only" aircraft we were airborne in response some time before the dedicated SAR Wessex lumbered over.

I agree that the Swiss did a very professional job in getting airborne and carrying on regardless (and so did the display co-ordinator).

Unfortunately, not so impressive was the prolonged whining on tower frequency from the Reds about the transmissions from SAR beacons on UHF Guard, which was apparently "reserved" as "their" standby display frequency. I think the leader failed to fully grasp that as there had been two aircraft seat ejections shortly before, the beacons were not actually under the direct control of ATC! :ugh:

[MG]

Jul 88 (my 21st birthday) I was taking part at a Town Show in Lowestoft watching a four-ship Bulldog display when the rear one trailled black smoke, dropped back and then sank below the sea wall. We all thought it was part of the display until told it had landed on the beach.

Next, watching Budgie Burgess and Bob Ankerson bang out at night in Iraq in 1991 after their bombs had prematurely detonated. We didn't really know that we'd seen them depart the jet until it was confirmed, weeks later by John Major on his visit to us, that they had been released.

[alisoncc]

Syerston September '58, saw the Vulcan break apart at BoB display. Would never have guessed that five years later, Sept '63 I would be standing at the Guardroom window at Finningley as a newbie joining 230 OCU B Sqdn and getting to play with them.

[BBadanov]

SOSL
You are quite right about it being CH, I always remembered his Hunter displays pre Reds. I believe he left the Reds after that and was in Oman.

Re summary of C's career, he had been in Oman before Hunters at TWU. I don't think he returned to Oman. Re his Reds' crash - we were airborne in a 4-ship when the Reds were doing a practice session during their winter workup in Cyprus. On landing back, there was a little red jet parked on the grass beside the runway, with a pole sticking out of the cockpit. I believe that C didn't intentionally eject - the seat fired on impact and the drogue chute pulled him out. I think he then had an accident in a FJ overseas.

I did see the MiG-29 crash at Paris in 1989. Now that was spectacular, and there are pics of the vertical jet and nearby pilot approaching the grass very adjacent to each other. Years later I met Anatoly Kovatcha (sp?) as a Su tp, and by then he had already ejected from an Su-27.

[pulse1]

I have witnessed 3 glider crashes, one fatal (Tutor at St Athan)h, one serious and one with no injuries, both at Dunstable.

I have also witnessed 3 aircraft crashes, 2 fatal, all at air displays - Atlantique at Farnborough, Havard at St Athan, and the non fatal one, the Mig 29 collision at Fairford. (Shy Torque, I also knew it was going to happen some seconds before it happened)

In over 50 years of motoring, I have only witnessed one fairly minor crash, two if you include the one I was in.

[JEM60]

Seen too many, sadly.
Beechcraft T.34C at Mildenhall, 2 fatalaties. Likewise Vintage Pair two years later.
P.38 Lighning at Duxford, 1 fatal, Ryan monoplane at Coventry 1 fatal, Fairey Firefly at Duxford, 2 fatal, and videod by me. A very bad runway collision at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, [somersaulting Corsair after losing it's port wing on an almost stationary Bearcrcat], Migs at Fairford, also videod, fatal collision at Oshkosh between two landing P.51 Mustangs, also videod, and too many undercarriages being knocked off to list. Got tired of seeing people die, I only attend Duxford these days. I sometimes felt that disaster followed me around.................

[Shack37]

Good point, Shack. However, most posters, on this thread, seem to be pretty respectful. Accidents are an ever present element of aviation. Sadly that's how we make it better.
We have to be free to talk about accidents.

Rgds SOS

I believe we make it better by learning from it, not by recounting accidents we've witnessed.:ok:

[NutLoose]

I was one of the first post 747 crash at Lockerbie which was probably worse than watching it.

I was on resettlement leave and heard the rumble as I walked up to the pub at about 19.00, it was a really still evening and the sound of a lone Siren from Carlisle heading for the A74, followed by more and more as Carlisle's emergency services emptied and started heading north will stay with me untill I die.
But for the grace of God and a minute or two's flying time, we would have been wearing it as our village is on the route and only about 10 miles South.
As the news broke in the pub I had a hard time stopping those that wanted to go gawk at the crash site from going, which I managed to do.
I left the pub at closing and was heading home when the first of the Chinooks went over at about 11:45, being ex Chinook I realised the work involved in getting the guys in, all the equipment needed, generating a cab, and then getting it overhead in the timeframe, I was impressed to say the least, luckily the wind direction on the night meant we were saved from the horrors of the debris field.
Several friends from home were in the Police and one of the Guys was effected quite badly from what he had seen, he was one of the first to the cockpit, I won't repeat the horrors he saw, he was equally impressed when he realised that a lot of the Local Fire brigade called out were part timers and were still wearing their normal clothes under their fire gear.

[Avtur]

None; and may it stay that way.

[Haraka]

Hmmmm.
I just wonder what the likes of Mannock, Cheshire, Richthofen and Galland might have thought of some this verbalism.

[cuefaye]

Khormaksar 64/66 - Belvedere, crashed in dispersal - fatal
- Marauder, crashed after lift-off - fatal
Chivenor 67ish - Sea Vixen, on finals - fatal
Valley 73ish - Two Hunters collided downwind - fatal
-Whirlwind crashes and sinks in Holyhead harbour 73ish -all survived
(I was in a dinghy about 100metres away)
- Beagle crash shortly after take-off - all survived, (Stn Cdr on board)
Scarborough 83ish - Lightning crashed in the bay -fatal
Farnboro Airshow 84 -Buffalo crash - all survived
RIAT 93 - Two Mig 29s collided -ejections
Paris Airshow 99 - Flanker Su30 crash -ejections
Farnborough Year? - F18 failed to pull out of loop -fatal?
Plus three wheels-up affairs (one from the cockpit)

Hopefully not regarded as morbid. Factual, but sad recollections

[Rocket2]

For me I have witnessed 3 mid-airs involving gliders - 1 at Lasham (non fatal), 1 over Cranwell North (2 syndicate partners killed in the glider - the Robin Aiglon landed Ok Southside) & 2 gliders at Colerne (2 killed - 1 a syndicate partner).
I always ensure my students keep a hell of a good lookout & others are wary of me joining their syndicate!

[dalek]

Beach club in Tripoli, Libya 1964. I watched a F105 Thunderchief fly into the sea just off the coast. Not survived.

1981 Somewhere in North German plain watched a Dutch NF5 I was controlling fly straight into the ground. Not survived.

March 1983 Soltau Germany. A Dutch F16 I was controlling had an engine failure right over my head. I heard the surge sounds and the engine rundown very clearly. The pilot ejected with minor injuries. I was so close my Landrover was alongside him when he landed. Took him to the local hospital and he was back flying within a few weeks.

[Adam Nams]

On my SAR long course at RAF Valley, I was going out to do some drums with "Father Christmas". We were talking about using various methods to help find the wind which included smoke.

At that very moment I spot a big plume of black smoke coming down the starboard side of the aircraft. "Just like that?" I enquire.

We land on next to pilot who had ejected from and had landed adjacent to what was now the smouldering wreckage of his Hawk, and went across to see how he was. "Hello mate, what's your name?" asks my instructor.
"I'm lucky" was the reply. "Yes, I know you're bloody lucky, but what's your name?"

"You no understand... my name is Umlucky" replied the Foreign and Commonwealth student.

[Geezers of Nazareth]

At Biggin Hill in the mid 70s I saw a Bell Jetranger (doing pleasure flights) take-off into the underside of a landing Tiger Moth.

The T-34C at Mildenhall
The 'Vintage Pair' at Mildenhall
The Italian G-91 at Mildenhall (it came down at the edge of a camp-site where we were camping for the weekend, and we made a few trips down to visit the 'guard airman' that evening to keep him supplied with beers and hot food).

The MiG 29s at Fairford
The G-222 at Fairford
A hot-air balloon at Fairford; very soon after lift-off (evening launch), it drifted across the car-park at low-level, and came down on top of a car - does that one count?

The Sukhoi at Paris in the late 90s. (Not sure if this one counts, we were several miles away at our hotel, watching the display from the balcony; I went back into the room to get another beer, heard a shout, came out and saw the plume of smoke).

[Fareastdriver]

In East Anglia in the fifties and early sixties if there weren't three pillars of smoke on the horizon by Monday lunchtime the week hadn't really got started.

[Wander00]

Fortunately the only accident I have actually witnessed was a schoolmaster/CCF officer and former Spitfire pilot crunch the corps primary glider on the school field. Seen the aftermath of a few - and lost good friends as have many of us. RIP

[oldpax]

was serving on 8Sqdn in Aden ,one of a pair of our Hunters doing a sonic boom display didnt pull out and crashed into the "Aden levys"barracks.Flying tail jammed ,fatal.
Next one was at Oakington when one of our Varsitys landed without wheels down and came to a halt opposite us on the main runway,instructor was well away before the student finally fell out the stbd window and followed the QFI!!Repaired and flew again.

[Krystal n chips]

The lighter side of accidents.

Bruggen gliding. Some holes had been dug in the South side taxiway adjacent to the launch strip with those scaffold pole barriers in position as a warning.

Enter our hero, a product of Sandhurst with a Degree in Law and, the one that saved his neck, Divinity. The launch point is a bit busy, but the rest of the airfield, is, well, remarkably, erm...free from obstructions.

The cross wind leg gave a hint as to what was to come...the nose rose and fell several times and the final turn was a credible example of how to enter an incipient spin. You could see the "planning process" taking place here.

A bit of wing waggling and he established himself on the final approach. With impeccable accuracy, he performs a near perfect flare and short landing....... with the assistance of said barrier poles.

He was flying a Swallow which, fortunately for him, had the pitot mounted in front of the cockpit and which absorbed most of the impact. He emerged slightly bemused, but unable to understand quite how, and why, the accident had transpired.

However, given that he had previously demonstrated by way of recovery from a cable break at about 400 ft, what was a near perfect chandelle... rather than recover airspeed etc, then it was only a question of when, not if, as he duly demonstrated.

[maxaoa]

Watched my lead have an engine failure on a transit last year. Saw him all the way to the ground where he promptly flipped on his back. Was convinced he was dead until 5 mins later he emerged from the wreck and started waving!

Delayed the season a while until they found the cause, no locktite on the smallest nut you can imagine in the FCU.

[Wander00]

Watton, Canberra T17 fairly new. No barrier, runway 6,000ft or so and a new school not far beyond the end of it. P.... D.......e starts take-off run, hits bird so puts it back, not going to stop so twists the little collar and pulls the gear up. Aeroplane slides down runway in a shower of dust and sparks, hatches and canopy coming off (no zero-zero seats then). Crew evacuate and beat hasty retreat until PD stopped by station commander (either John Hurry or Guy Hogan): "Did you have to pull the xxxxx gear up?" ISTR afterwards they found the bird had gone down the outside of the engine cowling.

[HAS59]

I watched XM 968 (Q) go in on 24 Feb 77. There was a lot of energetic shaking the jet around to try to get the main wheels down, they were just hanging there half deployed. Then time and fuel ran out and the two chaps banged out okay. "What's it going to do now?" Said a Cpl nearby (to much laughter).
The jet went vertical and then dropped a wing got some lift and headed off over the station boundary and into a field. I've got some poor 'Instamatic' photos somewhere.

[teeteringhead]

I watched XM 968 (Q) go in on 24 Feb 77. One remembers two things about that:

1. Nearly being rubbed out by Harry Staish at warp factor lots in his staff car, going the wrong way round the one-way system to get out of the main gate to the crash site! (why?).

2. Story from a mate who was at home on Bottom Patch. Wifey at kitchen sink looking out of window.

"Dave, they don't normally do parachuting on the Station do they??" bless :D

[Wander00]

TTH - Just LOVE the "wifey" part of the story

[clicker]

Fairford, Mig29's...I was walking around the static display taking some photos when it happened. My attention was drawn to the sudden quietness so I turned round just in time to see two of the ejections. Also saw ShyTorque get airbourne.

Fairford, G222...look mum, no nose wheel.

Shoreham Hurricane and two years later a glider. At both I was working in to police control for the events and went from very quiet (I had been taking photos out of a window) to very busy in a few seconds. At least we had police commanders with brains and not brawn who let us controllers get on with our tasks without too much hassle.

[pontifex]

I have seen too many and I don't feel inclined to count them. I still get flashbacks from some. In only one did the crew survive and that was the Farnborough Buffalo. At the time I thought it was non survivable and was turning away in disgust when ( glory be) they all clambered out of the top hatch. Went and had a few more bevvies courtesy of Mr Boeing to celebrate!

[Ex Cargo Clown]

Saw the '85 British Airtours accident from the old brickworks, which was not nice as a young kid.

Also the Spitfire at Woodford, another horrible loss.

[brokenlink]

GoN, Remember that incident well, I was a 13 yr old cadet helping out at the show with the pleasure flights. Bus I was sitting in was covered in Avtur fron the Jet Ranger. Awful for the helio occupants and their families but the Tiger Moth crew survived.

[TwoDeadDogs]

Hi all,
I remember a little Team Minimax homebuilt crashing almost on the numbers, during gusty crosswinds at the Cranfield PFA Rally (about 1998). It sounded exactly like some one kicking a tea chest when it went it. The pilot survived, with a broken arm, I think. Also seen the compulsory Yak-52 gear-up. Also tidied up, during service in the Irish Air Corps, after Marchetti and Cessna wheel-ups, prop strikes, inadvertant landing in ploughed fields, wire strikes, ditchings, overruns.....I guess if you stay in this business long enough you'll see something spectacular once in a while.

regards
TDD

[Dan Winterland]

17 year old son of a Vulcan Nav catcheas a wing on the ground during a winch launch of the K18 glider he's flying. The glider is totalled, but young Dave is fine - just a few scratches. However, the emergency sevices are alerted and the ambulance arrives. But they don't go away empty handed - they have to take Dave's mother to hospital suffering from shock!

Dave was in a much worse condition the next morning - but for an entirely different reason.

[mike-wsm]

Four, if we're counting, the Bristol 173 at Filton Air Day, the Gannet at Cribbs Causeway, and the Farnborough Breguet. Alas the latter two were fatal. So sad.

The fourth was me in one of those bungee launched A-frame glider things. The c of g was wrong and I went up like a rocket, stalled, came down again. The glider collapsed into kit form and flying ceased, giving those hard-worked bungee walkers a much-appreciated rest.

[pulse1]

Some of the glider stories above have reminded me of another glider crash which I had forgotten about.

I was a founder member of the South Wales Gliding Club which started with a single seat Tutor on mountain site near Pontypridd. On the first day the wind was probably about 20 knots and, after two successful flights by the CFI and his deputy, the next person on the list was strapped in for his first flight. I discovered afterwards that he had not flown any sort of aeroplane since he flew Mosquitos in the war.

I was acting as "mid field bat" when the launch started and I watched in horror as the glider shot into the air, rolled upside down, and dived back onto the ground. I was one of the first on the scene and, as I ran towards the wreckage, I was preparing myself for whatever injuries I would find. I plunged into the wreckage and, to my amazement, there was nobody there. Totally puzzled, I look around and there was the intrepid pilot sitting on the ground, looking very white faced, but totally unharmed.

That was my first day of civilian gliding. My first day of ATC gliding at St Athan, some years earlier, witnessed a similar glider plunge to the ground from the top of the launch. This time I was pleased to be a bit further away as the result was the death of a young lady, the daughter of an Air Commodore.

[Molemot]

Not a crash, per se, but more on the humourous side. Towards the end of my time working, I was an Immigration Officer at Terminal 4 Heathrow. One day, wandering around the vasty empty corridors on surveillance waiting for a flight to arrive, my Chief Immigration Officer came up and we started to chat, as you do. He said "Do you know, Moley, I've been at Heathrow for 24 years and never seen any aeroplanes with a problem?" I replied "Just look over your shoulder!!" as, taxying over by Terminal 3, there was an Air India 747 with the starboard inner well alight.....

Rapidly extinguished by the crew before all the emergency services arrived.

[xtp]

At the risk of showing my age...

Neil Williams in a Stampe (I think) at Biggin Hill in the 1960s when he hit the ground sideways after falling out of a roll. I was first on the scene and found him still strapped in with the airframe forward of the seat folded back parallel with the rear fuselage. Luckily nothing worse than bruising from the straps.

I was driving the winch when Rod Brown fell off the cable in the Cranwell Prefect on summer camp at, I think, Upavon in around 1962. Luckily he wasn't badly hurt despite my last view of him disappearing behind the brow of the hill looking almost vertical. We put the wreckage onto a 3-tonner and broke off any bits that stuck out so it could be removed by road. Somewhat to our surprise, it was later repaired and flew again.

Tiger Moth/Stampe mid air at Weston Super Mare in July 1972 just after I'd done my show in a CFS JP3. Took off for my next destination on the right hand side of the runway with the wreckage still blocking the left side. Luckily no-one was killed, although I believe injuries were significant after a vertical drop from around 100 feet during a multi-aircraft flour bombing display.

Blackhawk crash on the first Sunday of Farnborough 1974. The wreckage bounced towards the RAE Wessex on crash duty, which was fully powered down at the time with Bryant Holland strapped in at the controls. Glad it wasn't me - we did day and day about in that role that year. Luckily the wreckage stopped short of the Wessex, but very sadly both crew died.

I was leading a 4-ship of 20 Sqn Hunters in February 1967 when Flt Lt Dave Thompson had a major engine problem out of gliding range to an airfield. I had a grandstand view as he ejected, but unfortunately his parachute caught on a very tall tree on the edge of a clearing and he fell quite a way to the ground. Fortunately the S&R crew recovered him safely to Singapore and he was sent back to UK immobilised to protect his damaged spine. Despite this, after only about about 6 months recouperation he was all but ready to return to the Squadron when, on his way to his final medical, he was killed in the Hither Green train crash. Dreadful way to go after such a remarkable recovery.

[Somph]

Going back to Molemot's comments - watched two bendy-busses, one full of passengers, pass a bit close to each other. The wing mirrors of both busses were left on the apron. I always wondered what the soon-to-be flying people thought.

Was at Lowestoft when the Harrier droppped out of the sky, fortunately no fatality.

[clicker]

Molemot, that reminds me or a similar incident at Gatwick.

I had been called into the bosses office for a "no tea or biccies" discussion and while I was getting this "talking too" we both looked out of the window on to an airside apron where a Boeing 707 had just come off the stand on push back. It this point the crew had fired both port engine fire bottles.

A few years later I asked Colin what drew his attention to that, after all we had both ignored jet engines for some years treating it as background noise. His answer was similar to my thoughts. We both thought that our subconcious brains had twigged the engine tone was not the usual and therefore worth a look.

[denachtenmai]

3 for me,
first one a 210 Sqdn Shack at Ballykelly in 1961.I was walking to breakfast and idly watching said a/c droning it's way down on final to 02 with, ISTR, the No2 feathered.
Now any Mk2 arrival is, was, an event and any with one out was worth watching, I heard the engines throttle down as it crossed the threshhold and then an almighty bounce, which wasn't controlled, it then slowly pirouetted to the right, the gear collapsed and it came to a halt on the grass then burst into flames.
All the hatches opened and the whole crew were out in seconds as the pyros gave a good firework display:ok:
Second one was at Wyton, a sceptic on final to Alconbury in an RF4 had problems and both ejected, one came down in the married patch and the other on the sports field but his seat nearly gave some Wraf's a shock when his seat crashed into the top of their accommodation block:ooh:
Third was Dutch Holland's fatal 543 Sqdn Victor crash:(
Regards,Den.

[Tashengurt]

I was fortunate enough not to witness any losses whilst in the mob. I also missed being sent to Lockerbie by being in the Naafi shop buying crisps when they virtually emptied the blocks. Glen Tilt by being away gliding when they came knocking round the married patch and The Mull by the toss of a coin.
As a 14 year old I did see two light a/c collide during an air race over my village. One of them appeared to be about to make a successful forced landing in the field I was in until it hit power lines. Not a pleasant memory.

[thing]

Saw XV416 go in after a donk failure in the circuit. Both crew banged out and I watched as the jet slowly planted itself in the Witham around Tatty Bridge. Parts of the wreckage ended up in some old dear's garden. After ascertaining that she was safe it transpired that she was hard of hearing and she said 'Oooh, I thought I heard the dog barking'...

Saw young Lennon tent peg a Mk3 during a practice display at Binbrook leading to the famous 'That one's broke boss, can I have another?' phone call.

I think it was Charlie Chan who went in off the coast at Akrotiri in 87.

[Bicster]

Geezers of Nazareth, I cant remember the exact year but it would have been around 1996 when I was detached to Fairford for the air show. It was the last day and the flying display had finished, there was going to be a load of hot air balloons take off. I was sat in our transport HQ portacabin which we had a long pole attached to flying a flag when I heard and felt an almighty thump, I ran outside and looked up at a basket directly above my head and then looked at our flag pole which was now very out of shape, then I thought it might be a good idea to run for it. I stood back and watched in amazement as the balloon dragged the basket over the car park then couldnt believe that there were still many more balloons taking off, they came over and most (id say 75%) at the same spot lost lift and started to come down. I dont know if that was the same incident as you saw Geezers of Nazareth?

[Geriaviator]

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y503/Oldnotbold/overturn_zpsd46bcf44.jpg

My father remembered eight Harts on their backs when 142 and 12 Sqns arrived at Aldergrove gunnery camp in 1938. Like Alcock and Brown, they found that Ireland is green for good reason -- it's very wet! As there was no radio the others kept on coming, but thankfully nobody was hurt. As I would find for myself later when recovering various Tiger Moth/Auster arrivals, acetate dope is a delicious supplement for dairy cattle.

At Khormaksar in 1952 we heard the all too familiar dull thump and saw a plume of black smoke rising from the salt pans to the east of the field. A Buckmaster had spun in off the circuit, killing the pilot. On the other hand the one-legged antics of the Brigands would attract scores of rubbernecks as the hapless pilot tried various manoeuvres to lower the offending leg. Long afterwards we heard the cause was hydraulic seal deterioration in the Aden heat and humidity.

A Meteor T7 spun in on finals at Leuchars in 1954. Its very experienced WW2 pilot was on first solo when the cockpit opened (sideways on T7). He could have jettisoned it, but people said they saw him waving when he was probably trying to pull it closed. The Meatbox being willing to spin even without disturbed airflow over its tail, it went in vertically beside Leuchars station and the three-coach train about to depart for St. Andrews. We couldn't see the station for the vast pall of flame and smoke and feared the worst.

In 1971 I was waiting to fly with my friend Giles who was test pilot at RNAY Sydenham, now George Best Airport in Belfast. His Buccaneer ran out of fuel downwind (I think the jettison valve had stuck open) and we heard Giles bang out after observer Ricky. Giles landed atop a three-storey building, the chute collapsed and he slid over the edge, to smash his elbow on touchdown. The Bucc, nose pitched high, landed some 200 yds in front of him, taking down the front of an office block fortunately without injury or fire.

Thankfully life seems much safer these days.

[Badger3434]

I was taken by my Dad in the mid-50s to see the wreckage of a Super Sabre that had come down the day before in a field near Herford in Germany, where he was based. We had watched it circling on the day with smoke pouring out the back, getting lower and lower. The pilot apparently ejected when already on the ground but did not survive.

For a young lad it was distressing, and my first contact with destruction.

My Dad told me some years layer it was important that I also saw how easily it could all end.

Since then - fortunately no further accidents. Apart from my own effort with an EFATO which ended with a PA28 in a ploughed field at the end of Wellesbourne, but no harm done!

[Satellite_Driver]

I think it was Charlie Chan who went in off the coast at Akrotiri in 87.

I was a very young APO (University Cadet) on summer det to the Akrotiri Eng Wing. Half way through a discussion with a chief about the engineering task of the day we get the Emergency State 2 tannoy advising that there was a Lightning on single-engine approach. Everyone seemed to consider this about par for the course so we carried on.

Thirty seconds later, the crash siren goes off, followed by "EMERGENCY STATE ONE, LIGHTNING CRASH ON APPROACH" or words to that effect. We all pile outside to see nothing but a pall of smoke... no parachute.

All rather glum for the next twenty minutes, until the Stn Cdr comes onto the tannoy and announces that the pilot was in hospital but apparently OK.

It was indeed Charlie Chan and he was in the bar that evening. The story came out that he'd shot one of the wheels off the spreader bar of the banner and it had gone down the intake and taken out one engine. On finals, FOD from the dead engine had caused the other one to fail, and he'd banged out just in time. There were apparently two other minor casualties: a squaddie in an OP atop a water tower who had jumped clear when he saw an out-of-control Lightning seemingly headed his way, and a local civvy taken to hospital with shock when a Lightning went in only a couple of hundred yards away.

[BEagle]

30 Apr 1990, I was attending the Flight Safety course at Adastral House. IFS started his welcome brief by telling us that the RAF had been lucky enough to have had a good year so far. "Perhaps I shouldn't have said that - last time I did there was a mid-air the very next day", he remarked.

At 1037, probably at the very time we were being briefed by IFS, Shackleton AEW 2 WR965 flew into a mist-shrouded hill on the Isle of Harris, killing all 10 on board.

I don't think that IFS used that comment again.....:(

[RetiredF4]

1976, sheppard AFB.
Together with my instructor pilot I preflighted our T-37, when a guy from the sister flight also in a T-37on a crew solo mission suffered an engine failure on downwind leg and jumped out.
Heard the bang of the seat, saw the pilot on the chute (uninjured) and the fireball beyond the runway. Mission cancelled.

It was actually a calming event, as there was the rumor, that the bang seat of the T37 would just do bang, and stay in the aircraft, as it had no rocket packs and was weight limited.

franzl

[Al R]

Satellite Driver,

That wasn't a squaddie. ;)

We called the hill Bacon Grill Hill. The film at the time was Hamburger Hill, but, well.. we are British after all.

[The late XV105]

Only one, and it was one too many.

Structural failure or maintenance error (I recall aileron separation) during a gliding aerobatics display at the Brize families day on 12th June 1981. Google leads me to 'Old' Andy Gough. RIP.

[longer ron]

Unfortunately - it was only a matter of time before an accident happened with andy gough,he really did push it on his displays...I never enjoyed watching the last minute of his display !!

[longer ron]

The wing structure on the Blaniks was fairly flimsy (esp outbd)...here is a pic i took whilst repairing one abroad in the mid 80's...as you can see - much of the strength is in the skin...personally I would not have wanted to do more than the gentlest of occasional aerobatics in a blanket...



http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/zimbabwe/img035.jpg



rgds LR

[thing]

Aren't they all grounded now? I flew a blanket about 10 years ago, did a few aeros in it. Bit scary now looking at that.

[mini]

Never witnessed an accident. Was however tasked with arranging the clean up of one, a single seat trainer that attempted a loop without sufficient altitude. Two imprinted memories - the resemblance of the remains of the pilots helmet to a bust egg shell and the snapped cable from his shoulder belts.

RIP naive mate.

[longer ron]

Thing
Aren't they all grounded now? I flew a blanket about 10 years ago, did a few aeros in it. Bit scary now looking at that.

Most are now grounded,they can be re-lifed but not really financially viable as it is an expensive job.

BTW...the photo is a little misleading in that there is at least one nose rib missing !

Some 'busmans' holiday that was LOL

[MightyGem]

Structural failure or maintenance error (I recall aileron separation) during a gliding aerobatics display at the Brize families day on 12th June 1981. Google leads me to 'Old' Andy Gough. RIP.
A spanner, I believe, which judging by it's condition(amount of corrosion), had been in the wing for some time before jamming the ailerons on that day.

[The late XV105]

Thank you for the respective insight. Doesn't take away the chill of the event but all these years later I appreciate understanding a little of what likely happened beyond what I witnessed.

[peppermint_jam]

Only ever witnessed 1, Canberra landing at Marham with its brakes on a few years ago, (2003/4 ish?) it veered off the runway after blowing its mains. All the crew walked away thankfully.

A few months later I was outside our hangar at Marham one night talking to a plumber mate, I heard an unfamiliar noise. "WTF was that?" I said, aforementioned plumber mate (who'd been in 20+ years) calmly said "Sh*t, I think that's seats going."

We legged it into rects control to see what we had up, nothing, and all the other Tonka Sqns were away.

Sadly he was soon proved correct as we heard the crash alarm. A Canberra T4 WJ866 (if I remember rightly) had gone in on approach. We later learned that the two pilots had died and the nav had fairly serious injuries. RIP

A sound I hope never to hear or witness again.

[jayteeto]

Saw the 2 russians collide at Fairford, very exciting.
Watched a microlite crash on landing at Barton, 50 yds in front of me earlier this year. I got there first and failed miserably to shut down the screaming engine. It self destructed seconds later, very exciting.
Handling pilot, stoofed a Puma into a jungle clearing in the early 90's. Very Very exciting!! In fact there was a bit of brown adrenaline that day.

[taffyhammer]

Witnessed two, the glider crash during the air show at Brize in 1981 which sadly was fatal. Laarbruch in 1996 or 1997 watching a 4 ship of Harriers take off when one suddenly pitches nose down; the pilot ejected horizontally and was dumped straight onto the ground when his chute opened. Lucky to survive when the burning aircraft tumbled down the runway past him.

[Lightning Mate]

I watched my own!

[30mRad]

I watched my own!


Do tell LM (and welcome back) :ok:

[Lightning Mate]

1st June 1981 - Jaguar XX828.

Birdstrike - canopy shattered - plexiglass down both engines.

Big double surge and fire.

Enjoyed about eight seconds in the 'chute.

Handle mounted on nice wooden block hanging in hallway.

[goudie]

'Old' Andy Gough.
Was my instructor on a gliding course at RAF Bicester, in the 60's. He took me up in a Blanik on the last flight of the day, one summers evening. Did some pretty hairy stuff I must say. My summer tan was a few shades lighter! Very sad the way he died RIP

[ex-fast-jets]

It seems that many of you ex-Lightning chaps were very careless at looking after HM The Queen's Jaguars!

[thing]

They weren't very good at looking after the Lighnings either......:}

[Lightning Mate]

Difficult to do with its' propensity to catch fire!

[cuefaye]

One of my observations in Post No 40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iM3vLer6YFg#t=295s