Yet again, another day in the office
Yep, yet again just another day at the office, situated, as per “The Book”, 75’ from the runway edge and 150’ from the threshold. The morning waves had been and gone, visitors and PDs throughout the morning and early afternoon, a spotters heaven I suppose. Mid afternoon and a pair of Tonkas break into the circuit, Lead rolls but no.2 calls “No Nose wheel Low light” (Tonka drivers can explain what the means and what the ramifications are). For me it means there’s going to be an approach end RHAG (Rotary Hydraulic Arresting Gear) engagement and I’ll have to visually confirm that the aircraft arrestor hook is in the down position prior to landing. No real drama here, i’ve watched plenty of these.
The tannoy goes out from the tower, “Emergency State Two” etc etc, The fire section races into action positioning themselves at the RV point by the “Deafen Inn” (Air Traffickers own pub on the airfield, near the runway, hence the name). Crash one out onto the runway after the lead aircraft lands and raises the approach end cable up onto its grommets, as the cable normally sits in a slight groove etched across the runway surface. Round about now the duty squadron engineers are arriving at the RV point with a tug and tow bar and some other kit that I can’t quite remember.
All is now set to receive the problem aircraft which calls downwind, three greens and hook down, which I confirm to the tower having checked with my trusty 7x50s, and continue to follow the aircrafts path downwind and onto base, calling finals 3 greens and hook down. All looks good, rolling level, nice approach, right on the numbers……..right on the numbers? Uh oh…..
In my time, on most RAF Airfields, the main instrument runway had a great big net at the runway ends, called the barrier, and while up is usually 12’ 6’ (3.8M) tall. Normally the departure end is either UP or on STANDBY (Like the good old Duke of York, neither up nor down) and, of course, at the arrivals or approach end it is DOWN. That is that the stanchions at either side are level with the ground clear of the runway, and the net forms a nice tidy heap about 2’ tall, with the steel top cable resting on this heap and all of which are the full width of the runway. Normally arriving aircraft float over the down barrier on their way to touch down on said numbers.
However, with the hook down the bottom most part of an aeroplane is now several feet closer to the ground and which meets said ground many many feet before the wheels touch down. That is why pilots are instructed to land, IIRC, 1000’ or so into the runway in order to ensure separation from the barrier. In this case however, our hero was right on the numbers and as Murphy would have it, the hook touched down just short of the barrier and picked up the net and, disastrously, the top cable.
Sat in my office and with the realisation that “Uh Oh” was about to turn into “WTF” and my right hand only half way to the roof mounted Verey pistol, I could only watch in slow motion as 16 tons of Tornado at a speed of 146 Kts. proceeded to totally destroy the barrier, catching the net and the top cable, which snapped both stanchions out of their mountings, and ripped out cable drums and break units and their associated concrete foundations and scattered them all over the airfield and down the runway before the top cable snapped, leaving the Tonka to continue on its way to the RHAG.
As the jet went past me my eyes were drawn to the nearest bit of barrier kit, a piece weighing several hundred pounds, which managed to reach a great height and accelerated almost to the arrival speed of the aircraft and was describing a parabola that looked like it was about to arrive at the caravan, just about where I was sitting. Fortunately for me, and my Wife and children, it hit the ground just short of the ‘van and stopped about 3’ away from my pink and trembling body.
As for the Tonka, it engaged the RHAG as per normal and came to a safe stop. Once stopped the pilot made the usual call giving the speed and weight of the aircraft on cable engagement and made a comment saying “ I felt a retardation just before the RHAG, did I catch something?”
Now that his airfield was “Black” and the barrier scattered all over the runway and other station aircraft diverted, the Station Commander came out to survey the damage and, most unusually, paid a visit to the ‘van where he realised how close this incident came to being a fatal accident. Shortly thereafter I was relieved and after making a statement as to what I had witnessed, was stood down.
Strangely enough, when I was describing the days main event to my family over dinner that evening, downplaying things, as you do, my wife thought it was quite hilarious. However the following day she was quite perturbed to find out from her work colleagues that she was almost widowed. The other strange thing was that in place of the normal gift of something alcoholic, the pilot sent me a multi pack of new underpants.
Just another day at the office?