Avro Vulcan Xj781 Shiraz Undercarriage Failure
I am not a pilot or aircrew but was present when XJ781 did the crash landing at Shiraz Airfield in 1973. I was in fact a Telegraphist on Support of the exercise from 12 SU Episkopi in Cyprus. I was a member of the Communications support of the exercise. We were accommodated in the Shiraz Inn (nice place with a pool and beers). XJ781 flew over the Inn to show there was a problem with a main undercarriage leg. Not being engineers we thought he was just showing off and never noticed the undercarriage problem.
We were soon alerted to the fact he had crashed on one of the parallel runways at Shiraz and the aircraft had sustained cat 5 (writeoff) with components. The components ie all the secret stuff was stored securely overnight until it could be recovered safely. It was a textbook crash landing by all accounts but the Pilot (who I engaged in conversation on the way back to Akrotiri on a C130) told me a few problems he encountered.
1. He was not aware of a massive ditch between the two parallel runways at Shiraz. (otherwise he would have landed on the other one).
2. It was a textbook undercarriage hang up landing.
3. Sadly as the Aircraft slewed to the port it was on a hiding to nothing. Big ditch, still a lot of speed, remainder of undercarriage ready for impact and iranian observer ready for a surprise.
4. The ditch actually broke the back of the aircraft hence cat 5.
5. On the recovery back to Cyprus I was sitting next to the Vulcan Captain who told me he had tried to evacuate the aircraft after jettisoning the canopy but when he stood on his ejector seat it rocked forward a few degrees so he sat down again. He mentioned also the ingress of sand and dust,l which stung just a little.
He also told me on the complete evacuation of the aircraft most of the crew approached him and shook his hand. The Iranian observer asked what the congratualations were for and Someone in the crew said Quote well it's a better landing then we ususally get Unquote.
We all guessed it would be housing or something soon but the chances of it becoming a military asset were nil as the sqn had recovered all the best bits.
only one of three accidents I was witness too sadly. Gladly all aircrew survived.
Alan
Last edited by Commsman; 6th Sep 2006 at 20:53.
Reason: to add date 6 Sept 2006