tornado down, reported both eject OK [Archive]

Lucifer

17th May 2002, 17:45

Another article on the Tornado from today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1993000/1993992.stm

Particularly like the bit that says "it is more likely to be human error" before anyone knows what happened.

Max Contingency

17th May 2002, 17:59

The chaps have rung their squadron from Lincoln and apologised for their poor parking! The aircraft is sat in about 2 meters of water in the middle of the Humber Estuary just off Brough. One chap was rescued by the local charity run inshore lifeboat 'Humber Rescue' and the second was lifted from his single-seat by an SAR helicopter from Leconfield. Wattisham also sent a Sea King and the Humberside Police Air Support Unit did some valuable spotting as the first aircraft on scene.

(Not the only air crash today unfortunately. Unable to post details other than it was non mil with 2 fatalities)

tu chan go

17th May 2002, 19:14

Not a good week for Tornados. The German AF lost one as well. No details of the crew known by me so far.

x-drive clutch

17th May 2002, 20:05

Best wishes to the crew from your mates at Lossie

Yozzer

17th May 2002, 20:16

Unable to confirm other crash details:

Two men died when their light aircraft crashed into a field near Braintree in Essex.
Eye witnesses say they saw the gyrocopter in trouble at about 1730 BST on Friday.

The alarm was raised by road-builders working on a road nearby who ran to the scene but were unable to do anything for the victims.

The crash site, at Blackley Lane in Great Notley, has been sealed off.

Police will not give details about the deceased until their next of kin have been informed.

Air Accident Investigation Bureau officials are due to arrive at the scene, near the Essex Showground, to conduct an inquiry into the crash.

Not military but not the best of days for UK Aviation.:confused:

RotaDish

18th May 2002, 02:16

Nice to see the "Totally Accurate", and impartial media have pasted a pic of an F3 on their news report. (The second link) They quote a "defence expert" who sumises that it was "Probably" down to "Human Error".......That's good then, we won't have to waste any money or time on a BOI!

Perhaps they should have limited their questions to Mr X from Janes Defence to "Is this the right picture? because we are getting tired of B@llsing it up every time we print one of an aircraft"

Hope the Chaps are really OK, since you can't believe much you read.

Rota

PS: Turns out, in reallity, that the Jet actually crashed in the Trent, just downstream from the Isle of Dogs!

Brizzo

18th May 2002, 09:11

Quote from the BBC report -

"An eyewitness who saw an RAF Tornado aircraft crash into the Humber estuary praised the crew for ditching their plane away from built-up areas"

I must congratulate the RAF on the superb training crews are given, allowing them to steer their 'stricken' aircraft safely away from primary schools and old folks' homes in the few seconds available before they decide to take the Martin-Baker option.

owe ver chute

18th May 2002, 11:26

Do the Martin-Baker company still give a tie to the crew who use the Martin-Baker option?
Well done to the crew, hope they get well soon.

[email protected]

18th May 2002, 11:37

I hope our FJ readers get a warm and fuzzy feeling from this knowing that despite crap serviceability and knackered airframes, the UK SARForce will be there to pick you up when you step over the side. This also during a 24 hour period that saw a RAF Sea King recover a casualty from the QE2 240 miles SW of the Scillies and 6 SAR ac stoodby to evacuate 900 people off a burning ferry. Some other Sevices aviators are fond of knocking the SARForce in general and the RAF element in particular (see other threads for details) as in their view SAR is 'easy and could be done by anyone in a helicopter', and can't understand why we spend so much time training do do our job. If you want to do it right first time, every time you have to train - if you want to make it up as you go along and lose a few people on the way then cuff it - it's much, much cheaper.

pshakey

18th May 2002, 12:35

Crab,

Do you want some fish to go with your chip?!
What's your point mate? I really hope you don't think any pilots or navs doubt the skill or balls of the SAR crews. If you do, you must have been speaking to the wrong gang!
We're right behind you.......... or dangling below you. Depends on how much poo we're in.

WorkingHard

18th May 2002, 13:21

Brizzo - I agree BUT you should read the BOI reports occasionally and see the time lapse between a problem and ejection operation! You may not wish to live under a RAF flight path if you do. Steering a stricken ship takes time and ejection is quicker than steering. For confirmation read D/IFS/(RAF)140/39/93/1

PTT

18th May 2002, 13:32

Seen on Sky News text just after the crash:

"A Royal Air Force Tornado has crashed into the river Humber near Brough. Two crew members have ejected.

<snip>

It is not known how many crew were on board at the time."

:rolleyes:

PTT

Herp

18th May 2002, 16:47

Glad to hear the guys are OK - any names yet?

WibbleOne

18th May 2002, 18:52

Good Luck Fin Mates, well done SAR mates.

Top Tip for the subsequent investigation, if there's any doubt, claim amnesia! Failing that it's the two pencils and uncle's underpants etc etc .........

owe ver chute

18th May 2002, 20:20

Crab@SAAvn, how you doing? How are you enjoying the Sea King? I bet you'd enjoy being inverted in a Mk7 a great deal more than being in the hover over the 'oggin, with some bloke on a rope!
Once a Lynx pilot, always a Lynx pilot!
As for the chip, thats not like you. A bee in yer bonnet maybe, but never a chip on yer shoulder.
Keep up the good work.

STANDTO

18th May 2002, 20:39

Why not pop over to 'Picture of a chopper' and look at a loverly rendering of a sea king in its natural environment!

So glad that everyone got out intact and the A/C did minimal damage. Reminds me of the one that went down at Squires Gate around 96/97. 'Landed' on the beach. had it gone awry it might have hit the Pleasure Beach, on a bank holiday weekend.

I'm sure it wasn't just luck that it didn't. Although self preservation plays a big part in these things, I'm sure any aircrew would try their utmost to move their tonnage into a safe attitude before bidding it farewell.

[email protected]

19th May 2002, 10:39

owe ver chute - give us a clue, you must have been with me at MW but that only narrows it down to a few hundred people! You are right, the Sea King does not handle like a Lynx- people start screaming if you exceed 30 deg AoB!!
I was referring to the Griffins at Akrotiri thread and others where questions have been asked about the 'gold plated' RAF approach to SAR and whether or not the job could be done by others for less dosh. The answer is yes, you can do SAR cheaper (don't train) but can you do it as well? This definitely comes under the bee in the bonnet category rather than the chip on shoulder.
PS don't use the e-mail on my profile, it expired months ago.

WibbleOne

19th May 2002, 13:06

Stand to & Crab@ etc , now you've had your trip down memory lane, how about back to the subject and have we any names of the GR4 crew yet. Over.:confused:

Treat your kite like your woman.......

Chris Kebab

19th May 2002, 15:45

Come on guys, lets get real here. The names are in circulation but I and, if they have any sense most others, are not going to drop themselves in the guano by posting them here.

They will not be released to the media, suggest if you haven't got a mate to ask or you can't call the sqn, you don't really need to know.

owe ver chute

19th May 2002, 17:28

Crab@SAAvn, I was with you at Longtown when the number 2 engine would not start! Enough of a clue?
You ain't seen me. Right!

STANDTO

19th May 2002, 19:00

Agreed, Chris.

I don't know em, and don't need to know, and if you don't know em, all that matters is that they are OK

Man-on-the-fence

19th May 2002, 21:43

Standto

Agreed, I have no desire to know who they are, merely that they are safe with their loved ones and that their Aircraft was covered by adequate fully comprehensive insurance ;)

jimgriff

20th May 2002, 16:50

Martin Baker still give ties to successful ejectees and if anyone would like to send me one for my collection..............

trailfinder

20th May 2002, 16:52

As has already been stated, well done to the aircrew for steering a/c away from bods on the ground before ejecting; sparked a thought though - what happens as fly by wire a/c become more commonplace (assuming EF actually can fly!) and the option to stay with the aircraft following damage in no longer there? Am I right in thinking F22 has an auto-eject function, because the piolt cannot react quickly enough to a catastrophic incident? A bit off topic I know but just a thought.....

jimgriff

20th May 2002, 17:00

No auto eject in f22 to best of my knowledge!!

STANDTO

20th May 2002, 17:49

This, is of course the ideal 'in' to the role of pilot, for those spotty youths who are top dog at video games, as you don't actually have to 'fly' a Typhoon

................or so Jeremy Clarkson says