View Full Version : Time when Tornado made emergency landing at Tonopah
chopper2004
8th Oct 2018, 22:34
Red Flag April 1990, Tornado GR1 made emergency landing aTTR.
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that-time-a-raf-tornado-made-an-emergency-landing-at-f-117s-top-secret-tonopah-air-force-base/
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1901/44466691904_a205365405_b.jpg
I’d heard the bones of the dit but not the whole account. How embarrassing to have a fuel snag pre push and get caught out like that - particularly in a twin seater.
Just This Once...
9th Oct 2018, 06:44
The GR1 fuel indication was less than helpful, combining a little too much into a single instrument. Even worse in the back - a simple digital readout of the total fuel in the aircraft but not where it was or if it was actually available for burning.
Top Bunk Tester
9th Oct 2018, 08:02
It’s great to finally hear the true story from the horse’s mouth, and what a great story it is. I have heard, apocryphally, the tale before but I got that it was a Tonka with an engine failure that diverted into the box and landed at Groom Lake, where the crew were hooded, interrogated for two days then returned to Nellis, still hooded. Then a Groom Lake pilot returned said Tonka to Nellis on one engine.
Although a great dit, the true story, I think, is even better. However, beware the camo dudes maybe stalking you as we speak for leaking this sensitive tale :oh: ;)
sandiego89
9th Oct 2018, 15:32
Nice zap!
Given the 1990 time frame, there would have been sensitivity to other aircraft being flown out of Tonapah- namely the MiGs of the Read Eagles. The engines the author heard during the day may well have been MiGs (and a few SU's). Tonapah had been MiGs during the day, F-117's at night, but the F-117 was seeing some daylight by then and would not be surprised of a few F-117's being put into Red Flag exercises.
Salute!
Given the time frame, I would think the Migs were the biggie, although the 117's had not moved to Holloman yet. The Migs had to fly in daylight for Constant Peg and Red Flag, unlike the 117.
My briefings at Red Flag always included the option to land at a "suitable, nearest: strip that we could see. In other words, don't fly over Groom Lake trying to reach Nellis. Tonopah was at the NW of the Red Flag ranges, but it was easier to reach than Groom Lake, and I flew a few missions just south of there.
Great war story.
Gums sends...
daylyt
9th Oct 2018, 20:51
IIRC, during the 'hot debrief' of the crew at Nellis they remembered hearing the telling phrase " it's out in the open" on the ground frequency and they weren't referring to the Tonka. I always suspected something other than Migs and F-117.
just another jocky
10th Oct 2018, 05:16
Good old Wally.....never knew that was him.
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Jaguar into Groom Lake tale.....or was that a myth?
99 Change Hands
10th Oct 2018, 06:59
The guy who took a Jag into Tonopah was at Marham at the same time as Grouty, his experience was very similar except for the suggestion that they pretty well stripped his aircraft down.
Dan Winterland
10th Oct 2018, 08:44
The 117 exchange at the time was asked to look at the Tornado to confirm the crew's assertion it was a fuel transfer issue. After a detailed inspection, he was asked his opinion. His rely was "No idea. I flew Jaguars".
MATELO
10th Oct 2018, 10:11
The guy who took a Jag into Tonopah was at Marham at the same time as Grouty, his experience was very similar except for the suggestion that they pretty well stripped his aircraft down.
Reverse engineering ? ?
:rolleyes:
hoodie
10th Oct 2018, 10:53
Reverse engineering ? ?
:rolleyes:
Oh yeah, hence the well known introduction into Service of the USAF Jag-a-like in the early 2000s.
BVRAAM
10th Oct 2018, 15:30
Excellent story, thanks for sharing!
Davef68
11th Oct 2018, 07:52
There was a colour picture on the pilots's Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Tornado-Over-the-Tigris-1045614338828941/
The geek in me wonders what reg number 'FG' was.....
The F117 was not a secret by the time of Red Flag 1990, it had been publicly revealed in late 88, and photos had been published of aircraft flying over Nevada in 1989. It did make it's first public appearance at an Airshow just after Red Flag 90
Wokkafans
11th Oct 2018, 08:58
There was a colour picture on the pilots's Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Tornado-Over-the-Tigris-1045614338828941/
The geek in me wonders what reg number 'FG' was.....
The F117 was not a secret by the time of Red Flag 1990, it had been publicly revealed in late 88, and photos had been published of aircraft flying over Nevada in 1989. It did make it's first public appearance at an Airshow just after Red Flag 90
Later on in the Facebook thread it states the airframe as being ZA474. Presumably the zap was long lost/painted over by the time of its scrapping?
https://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2016/04/scrapped-panavia-tornado-gr1s-za409-za474/
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1701x1102/tornado_zap_3ac57998c58a49de7e566f61449b401460b9e5cb.jpg
Jackonicko
11th Oct 2018, 11:03
Dave f68,Does that mean that the pilot was the author of Tornado over the Tigris?J
Jacko, the pilot is shown as Dick Downes, the author is Michael Napier
Davef68
The FG is just to make life easier for everybody, it wouldn't necessarily stay on the aircraft.
As an example, at Brüggen in the eighties the aircraft had the following fleet codes:
14 Sqn: AA, AB, AC etc.
17 Sqn: BA, BB, BC etc.
20 Sqn: CA, CB, CC etc.
31 Sqn: DA, DB, DC etc.
Davef68
12th Oct 2018, 09:31
Davef68
The FG is just to make life easier for everybody, it wouldn't necessarily stay on the aircraft.
As an example, at Brüggen in the eighties the aircraft had the following fleet codes:
14 Sqn: AA, AB, AC etc.
17 Sqn: BA, BB, BC etc.
20 Sqn: CA, CB, CC etc.
31 Sqn: DA, DB, DC etc.
Oh I am aware of that - I was just curious as to which airframe carried FG at the time of RF 90. I note someone with a similar first name/initial (but not me!) asked the same question and was answered!
In my aged befuddled state I obviously mixed up the Tornado over the Tigris post
Timelord
12th Oct 2018, 11:28
We infringed the Tonopah airspace whilst evading an SA8 rather too enthusiastically. The pilot was the Station Commander and on the way home he said: “You know that’s going to have to be your fault don’t you!” “Yes sir”. The punishment was being grounded for a day..... in Las Vegas!
Dominator2
12th Oct 2018, 14:18
I have read the report from the Incident and find it astounding that a CR crew would act in such a way? How is it that the crew were not grounded and subjects of a BOI? To have a fuel transfer problem and press into a Combat Area (real or training) is inexcusable. Anyone who knows the Tornado fuel system would say that apart from luck, the inevitable would happen; they would run out of (usable) fuel