German Tornado crashes, no fatalities

[Just a spotter]

Report from German media, 17 Jan 2014

A German army Tornado fighter plane crashed near the western city of Koblenz on Thursday night, with both pilots ejecting to safety, police said. Tornado jet crashes in woods, pilots unharmed - The Local (http://www.thelocal.de/20140117/german-army-tornado-crashes-in-woods-pilots-unharmed-koblenz)

JAS

[Hangarshuffle]

Good to hear both the aircrew were ok. That ladder looked short, wonder how he eventually got down - i.e. scrambled down himself?


Always thought it would be tricky, getting someone down from say, a hangar roof if anybody ejects and gets stuck on the top. (Not inconceivable).

[HTB]

Following ejection from a 14 Sqn Tornado in March 1987 a little way to the east of Wesel (Germany), at least one of the crew (Moloney/Hill) ended up tangled near the top of a tall tree. There was a subsequent, very witty, article in Air Clues about resolving the dilemma involving ladders too short and chain saws too noisy.

I've tried searching archived material with no luck - if anyone can find said article (or even give a first hand narrative, Jon), it would answer in some part Hangarshuffle's question.

Mister B

[glad rag]

Hmm suspension trauma. Hope they are really "OK".

http://www.rhein-zeitung.de/cms_media/module_img/2187/1093892_1_teasercropslider_01ja14aw110_0002.jpg?138996366614 4

[99 Change Hands]

Paraglider pilots end up in trees all the time. Some of them keep a roll of dental floss in their flying suit pocket - unreel the floss and lower the plastic case to your rescuers, they tie a length of string to it, you haul it up, they tie a rope to the string, you haul it up, tie the rope to the branch and climb down.

Nearly as fascinating as the number of sea kayakers found drowned with their penises exposed.

[Stuff]

... but how do you get the rope back?

[ShotOne]

Loop the rope over a branch then climb or abseil down the doubled rope...or tie on and be lowered if injured, then pull one end to recover rope.

When did the Germans start wearing green flying suits?

[N2erk]

I seem to recall an Air Clues article/letter in the early 70's expressing concern over the possibility of ejecting and landing in , say, the lion park at Whipsnade? zoo.

[Madbob]

I was taught in my ejection drills to retain the PSP if landing in trees.....

MB

[air pig]

I seem to recall an Air Clues article/letter in the early 70's expressing concern over the possibility of ejecting and landing in , say, the lion park at Whipsnade? zoo.

Slowest runner is called 'lunch', remember to keep up the BFT/CFT standards.

[Bob Viking]

I sit next to a German in my current office. He got his last autumn, but he was much later than some since, being in Canada, he had to wait for them to come up from Holloman AFB where they had already had them for a little while.
Weirdly he's wearing a grey one today. Must be something wrong with his washing machine!
BV:p

[Background Noise]

I was taught in my ejection drills to retain the PSP if landing in trees.....

MB

If you know you are coming down in trees (it appears to have been dark) and as long as it hasn't auto-lowered.

[Tankertrashnav]

Do they have treescape? Would seem to be a good idea for heavily wooded country like parts of germany

http://www.safeeurope.co.uk/symposium-archive/2001/the-development-of-the-irvin-treescape-assembly-type-ts51.aspx

Seem to recall the Javelin and Hunter guys had this kit in Singapore, as banging out over Malaya meant you were almost certainly going to land in trees.

[Tengah Type]

Treescapes were also issued to Canberra, V Force and FAA crews. For all except Canberra Nav/Observers the kit was in a canvas pouch worn on the chest beneath the LSJ. The Canberra Nav/Observers spent most of each flight in the prone Bomb Aimer's position in the nose of the aircraft. The extra pouch on the chest would have been a hazard while moving in or out of the nose and made it more difficult to use the Bomb Sight or Camera. It would also have been very uncomfortable lying for a couple of hours on a chunk of metal (the controller) whilst being pounded with the ever present low level turbulence.

The Treescape issued to the Canberra Nav/observers was in a polythene pouch carried in a flying suit leg pocket (how well that would have fared in an ejection is a matter of conjecture!).

The drill was to attach one end of the 200' length of paracord to a convenient branch,(if you could reach one) or to the parachute and harness which with luck would be firmly attached to the tree. Attach the controller to the lifting webs of the LSJ, drop the PSP, and after a quick prayer, release the parachute harness and gently lower yourself to the ground which would also hopefully be less than 200' from were you started!

I dont recall any being used in anger in 1963-1965.

[awblain]

ShotOne
When did the Germans start wearing green flying suits?

Midsummer 1945? ;)

[spekesoftly]

The Borneo Treescape (http://britains-smallwars.com/Borneo/Treescape.html#1)

[Dan Winterland]

A diving friend of mine was a German paratrooper. He once spent over 24 hours hanging in a tree near Sennelager after his main chure roman candled and the reserve when he pulled it, wrapped round the main. He fell very fast and a tree broke his fall. The delay in finding him was due to the rescuers not realising he fell vertically and didn't drift downwind and because they didn't hurry as they didn't expect him to be alive. He was completly unharmed and jumped again two days later!