Please excuse the thread drift, but the pictures of 181 sitting on the grass and the mention of doors falling off reminded me of an earlier incident at Thorney Island.
Co-pilot training sortie early in the Bev course. Fg Off B***** makes a landing and all the tyres on the port side burst. Bits of wheel and fixed undercarriage and sponsons are strewn down the runway and we come to a halt across the intersection not only closing the Master Diversion, but blocking the road to the Mess so that the chaps are late for their lunch.
Bemused silence on board the aircraft. Staff captain yells at the student crew to move their asses and get out. Co-pilot is first down the stairs, he has never opened the door before as that is usually done by the Loady but he is doing something more important (?). Co-pilot sees a yellow and black striped handle and pulls it - jettisoning the door just as the first of the firemen arrives 10 foot below it. Co-pilot hurt pride, fireman hurt all over!
In spite of his heart rending denials, Co-pilot gets the blame as he 'obviously' landed with his toes on the brakes. Whole thing would have gone down as pilot error except the same thing happens to Fg Off S******* a few days later on another co-pilot training sortie. Bit too much of a coincidence so Eng Wg do a proper investigation this time and discover a faulty batch of maxarets had recently been delivered from the MU. Two very relieved co-pilots.
