Originally Posted by
dixi188
There was a Harrier that crashed in the Bristol Channel when the pilot was accidently ejected due to something getting caught in the seat. The aircraft flew for quite a while without the pilot.
Departed from Dunsfold on a test flight just as I went off duty. I was already out of the door when somewhere about Boscombe Down (who'd already closed for the day) the drogue 'chute on his seat deployed and took the poor pilot with it. A shepherd was vectored onto it over the Bristol Channel and confirmed the guide rail had been acitvated and the seat was empty.
Our second 'incident' of the day, a few hours previously I'd had a 'MAYDAY' from an AA5 over Basingstoke which descended on a PFL and when the instructor told the pilot to climb away the engine just quit.