Dear Ris
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply properly to my second post. Such courtesy seldom seems to happen here these days but then you and I are of a similar generation that was perhaps brought up differently.
Re Cummings the 2009 Cummings book (Category Five) I quoted from is his eighth in a series about RAF losses and was published post Haddon-Cave. Indeed his comments regarding that report and that of the Puma accident are very interesting. His acknowledgements of people and organisations that provided the data for this book runs to two pages. His summaries of the accidents of which I have some personal knowledge appear to be totally accurate.
However, as you would expect from an experienced author, he does say that it is inevitable that the book will have sins of commission and omission. If you want to give me the date of your Meteor Cat 5 I will look it up and PM you what Cummings says!
I agree with you that speculation immediately after an accident should not be derided in the way it is by some on PPRuNe. To my mind such speculation is part of the process of spreading the word so that all those operating a similar type, or who are involved in similar operations, can perhaps avoid a similar event. Those who really are in the flying business can easily sift out the informed comment from the rubbish.
My Meteor time involved no accidents although one of the two seaters I flew (a specially modified NF11 used as a thunderstorm probe by the RAE Aerodynamics Research Flight) did present me with a double flame out when a lightning strike offended both Derwents. Self inflicted injury one could say though and not a reflection on the soundness of the Derwent 5.
I take your points about foot forces when asymmetric, the airbrake/undercarriage related ‘phantom dive’ and indeed the various possibilities of mis-managing the fuel system.
When trying to come up with the most likely bit of speculation my experience suggests that the explanation that requires the least complicated plot stands the best chance of being right. Incidentally I also feel that technical failures are most likely to have the pilot climbing on the R/T whereas if he has boobed he is likely to be too busy trying to unboob himself to make R/T calls.
As to why I came on the thread it was because of post 226 where a young Wind Sock expressed shock at the events of 50 years ago.
John