Yak incident at Lee-on-Solent

[Le Tirer]

From the Southampton Echo:
http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/dailyechonews/display.var.1664517.0.plane_crashes_into_fuel_tanker.php
"A PILOT had a miraculous escape after his plane crashed into a massive fuel tanker on a Hampshire airfield.
The Russian light aircraft careered into the industrial petrol tanker after developing a fault while landing at the former HMS Daedalus site in Lee-on-the-Solent.
But fortunately the propeller-powered 'Yak' plane struck a protective wall moments before the collision, which diverted it into the lorry's cab.
The man, in his 50s, was able to clamber to safety while fire crews at the former MoD airfield rushed to the scene of the crash, which took place around 12.30pm yesterday.
A spokesman from Hampshire Fire and Rescue said a collision with the tanker's half-full container would have caused a massive explosion.
Ambulance crews attended the scene and although the pilot was said to be shaken he did not require hospital treatment."
Do they really have 'massive' fuel tankers at Lee or are they in fact just normal sized ones?
Hope no lasting damage to pilot or Yak!

[HAL-26]

Aww. Give the poor reporter a break. There wasn't a single hospital, school or playing field full of kids, anywhere in the vicinity! :)

Mind you, "massive" tanker or not, it seems to have been a lucky escape!

[Dave Gittins]

Last time I flew at Lee (am due to do so again on Saturday) there was no generally available fuel and GA's nearest was at Bembridge.

Plod's Islander and Coastguard's S-61 will have their own bowsers but I wouldn't see why they need to be any more than a 4 wheel truck / 1500 gal type size. 1/3 the size of the average Shell tanker delivering to your local filling station.

As a view on the rather sensationalist nature of the newspaper piece. Fuel tankers on the road ARE (unfortunately) involved in collisions and being hit by another artic is probably worse than being hit by a Yak ... and I am not aware of any incidents where there has been a "massive explosion."

Again - regrettably - Aviation, the Truth and the Press are not bedfellows.

:ugh:

[Le Tirer]

This report appeared in The News (Portsmouth).
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/latest/Pilot39s-lucky-escape-as-plane.3175669.jp?articlepage=1
"A pilot had a lucky escape after his plane lost control and crashed into a fuel tanker.
Dennis Hammant, 70, had just landed his propeller-powered Russian Yak at the former HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent, when its brakes failed.
The pensioner was helpless as his plane headed directly for the industrial tanker half-laden with fuel.
Luckily he clipped a protective 3ft safety wall and was sent crashing into the tanker's cab – just avoiding the fuel container.
Mr Hammant said: 'It was a split second really. It happened so quickly that I've been going through it in my mind trying to work out what happened.
'It's just one of those things. This hasn't put me off flying – it would take a bit more than that.'
Hampshire fire spokesman Mark Jones said: 'If he had hit the tank, the worst case scenario would be that it would have exploded on impact.
'If that had happened there would have been a big fireball – I doubt very much he would have survived.'
The £45,000 plane crashed about 12.30pm yesterday, causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage.
Mr Hammant, from Warnford, near Southampton, managed to get out and away from the plane – about the same size as a Spitfire – as emergency services rushed to the site.
The airfield fire service was first on the scene followed by two fire crews from Gosport, one from Fareham and one from Copnor.
An ambulance also sped to the former MoD airfield, which straddles the Fareham and Lee-on-the-Solent boundary, and checked over the pilot, who was shaken by the incident but didn't require any hospital treatment. Mr Jones said: 'He seemed more relieved than anything; he realised how serious it could have been and seemed fine about it, but was clearly a bit upset because of the damage to his plane.'
The fuel tanker was parked in a special safety area near a glider hanger at Daedalus and there was no-one in the cab at the time of the incident.
The crash happened on the section of Daedalus owned by the Maritime and Coastguard agency.
The other half of the 204-acre former MoD land is owned by the South East England Development Agency.
The plane crash could be investigated by the United Kingdom Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
The branch is part of the Department for Transport and is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK.
It determines the circumstances and causes of an accident so they can be avoided in the future – and does not apportion blame or liability."
Well done Rob Dabrowski for writing what appears to be a very reasonable article.

[stiknruda]

Dennis - a pensioner!!

That was enough to have me ROFLMAO

(rolling on the floor , laughing my ass off) for all you old guys!!

Glad he's fine - one of the good guys!


Stik

[TheKentishFledgling]

Aww. Give the poor reporter a break. There wasn't a single hospital, school or playing field full of kids, anywhere in the vicinity!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWx8aKzedRU hehehehehe

tKF

[CBLong]

Another take on the same theme... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mLs0TEk3pw

[PompeyPaul]

I thought it was almost impossible to fly to Lee given that it is "strictly PPR" and they always refuse to give it ?

[Dave Gittins]

I don't fly to it ... I fly from it.

:cool: