Lightning5, re #29 and #20. All true.
The aircraft hit, entered, the office window near the central hangar-doorway, from which I and three others were just exiting. Rather annoying really as were ready for a staff benefit 2 v 2 in F1 hot rods.
Bang, Dust, Disorientation. First recollection was of a Firestreak nose into the flowerbed, the missile shear pin having ‘sheared’.
Over time, and the event did take some time to resolve, the office was emptied excepting the metal filing cabinet, table and chairs, but bricks and other solids tested the robustness of RR without apparent difficulty.
Said officer ‘Arthur’ exited the cockpit over the nose and onto the hangar offices roof.
The spectator behaviour was interesting; after a quick ‘rubberneck’ there was mass retreat, which reversed after fire crew arrival and inspection. Thence there was a sequence of well-doers with ideas of how to stop the engine. The thrust levers were jammed, electrics isolated, etc, etc; as stated the mechanical fuel controls at the back end were finally disconnected.
As by chance I ‘bumped’ into ‘Arthur’ at the end of my career; well not physically as the unfortunate gentleman had suffered another wall-encounter with a motorcycle, and I was appointed as his temporary replacement to be o/c interesting flying things – of which I took opportunity to fly one (self-authorised first solo).