Sea Venom collision at Chivenor Air Day

[Chris Royle]

I originally posted this on the Nostalgia thread, but so far, despite quite a lot of views, have not received any replies.
Wonder if any of you chaps can help?
Thanks,
Chris
Any of you good people out there, "of a certain age", who may have witnessed or otherwise know anything about an accident I witnessed at RAF Chivenor Air Day, possibly sometime around 1956 or 1957, where 2 FAA Sea Venoms collided, with, I believe, the loss of the 2 observers, but pilots banged out and were rescued from the estuary, probably by a 22 Sqdn Whirlwind, also based there.
Some years later I heard a "story" that on the evening previous to the accident, there had been a disagreement between the 2 crews, and one pilot was heard to say something along the lines of "I'll make the so and so climb!".
Aged about 10 at the time, the sight of this accident affected me quite deeply. Until then, watching aircraft had been fun (Farnborough, and Exeter Air Displays, which was our "local" airport, as I lived in Torquay at the time) and I had never been confronted with a sight like this.
Can someone date this incident and provide any further information / accident report etc. etc.
Looking forward to hearing the answer. pPrune never seems to fail!
Best wishes,
Chris Royle
(PPL based at White Waltham)

[Archimedes]

Looking at David Watkins' book on the Venom, it would appear to be an incident in 1959 involving 766 NAS, which had become the All-Weather Fighter Training Squadron in May 1959. The unit put together a display team of four Sea Venoms. On p.201, Watkins says:

"The team's existence was tragically cut short at RAF Chivenor's Air Day on 19 September [presumably 1959] following a collision during a high-speed descending approach to the main runway. Both crews ejected from their aircraft (WW297 and XG617), but unfortunately the parachutes of one crew failed to deploy and both men were killed"

[Chris Royle]

Archimedes,
Many thanks for the information and the date. I would have been 12 at the time! I just knew someone out there on Prune would have the answer.
Great stuff!
Chris
:ok:

[red3]

Chris

I was a trainee RN observer in the summer of 1959 and one weekend I was offered the chance to fly in the Chivenor Air Day. I had other plans for the weekend so my course officer went instead.

As I understand it the two Venoms made a slow flypast followed by a high speed flypast, both in line astern. For whatever reason they collided. The pilot of the lead aircraft was involuntrily ejected and survived but the observer (my course officer) was killed. The other aircraft sustained damage which precluded a safe landing and both crew members ejected. Again the pilot survived but the other crewman (an engineer) was killed when his parachute harness opened due to a technical defect. Apparently if the seat harness buckle was positioned directly on top of the parachute QRB it could produce a blow which could open the parachute QRB even in the locked position.

I am sure the full story could be found in the Board of Enquiry findings but that was what us 'sprogs' were told at the time. My course officer is buried in Yeovilton churchyard.

[Chris Royle]

Red,
Thank you.
Adds a poignant note to the story.
Chris

[John Farley]

Apparently if the seat harness buckle was positioned directly on top of the parachute QRB it could produce a blow which could open the parachute QRB even in the locked position.


I can confirm this was quite a common problem in the late 50s. A mod to the parachute QRB was issued in the form of a clip to insert between the rotating plate and the back of the box once you were strapped in. Plenty of us thought that this was a bit of a sop to the chaps as it could not prevent the sping loaded lugs that held your para straps from moving reawards (and releasing the strap ends) under inertia effects. It was quite a while before the much beefier 'inertia-proof' parachute quick release box became the norm.