Re: Smudge's post #4130:
The story of the 'blown' wing tank, IIRC, was an incident on A-line when all the holes in the cheese became aligned.
Fortunately (for me!), I had just taken part in the oft-derided (by - shall I say, non-ground crew?) shift change ceremony. The 'frame in question was XV177. Having just taken over the oncoming engine trade shift, one of the first items on my sheet was to send a chap to refuel the aforesaid aircraft for an evening sortie. Somebody other than my engine person had already commenced the refuelling procedure: before my man could get to the aircraft, he heard a dull whooomf! noise, followed by the sight of several people running around in 'emergency mode'.
The train of events was triggered by several people failing to carry out the correct procedures when (a) completing the tank task, i.e. removing the vent bungs, and (b) before carrying out a refuel, where the 'book' procedure clearly states that vents were to be checked 'clear'. The resulting mayhem required the attendance of the station fire chappies for an area washdown, plus the procurement and installation of a new/serviceable outer wing assembly which, as smudge has indicated, was not an exactly straightforward operation, as they didn't have one in stock in the station stores
. Cue the Lyneham roundabout incident!
No names, no pack drill here, but there were several other factors involved, regarding certain authorisation issues/scope of engineering and servicing activities on base, etc. by at least one of the participants.