Air Crash Investigation 1993

[Finningley Boy]

I recall reading on another thread of pprune some years back and regarding accidents at air shows, a former Red Arrow, I believe a Flt Lt Carter, was on the AAIB regarding the collision, mid air, between the two Russian Mig 29s, took a fablon overlay, same scale, of a plan of Farnborough and centred it over a plan of Fairford, where the accident occurred. If I recall, the impact on the ground of the bulk of the two aircraft fell on unoccupied airfield at Fairford. Had this happened at Farnborough, the debris would have landed in local infratructure? I've put this out to see if anyone can recall this? I'm interested.

FB

[itsnotthatbloodyhard]

I recall reading on another thread of pprune some years back and regarding accidents at air shows, a former Red Arrow, I believe a Flt Lt Carter, was on the AAIB regarding the collision, mid air, between the two Russian Mig 29s, took a fablon overlay, same scale, of a plan of Farnborough and centred it over a plan of Fairford, where the accident occurred. If I recall, the impact on the ground of the bulk of the two aircraft fell on unoccupied airfield at Fairford. Had this happened at Farnborough, the debris would have landed in local infratructure? I've put this out to see if anyone can recall this? I'm interested.

FB

If it had happened at Farnborough, perhaps the bit of cloud that caused #2 to lose visual on #1 wouldn’t have been there, and there would’ve been no collision at all.
If, if if.

[pulse1]

If it had happened at Farnborough, perhaps the bit of cloud that caused #2 to lose visual on #1 wouldn’t have been there, and there would’ve been no collision at all.

I saw the collision at Fairford and I do not remember seeing any relevant cloud.. The wreckage of one of them did crash near a parked C130. I also witnessed the accident at Farnborough when an Atlantique crashed. That did fall on local infrastructure killing a lorry driver.

[itsnotthatbloodyhard]

I saw the collision at Fairford and I do not remember seeing any relevant cloud.. The wreckage of one of them did crash near a parked C130.

That was my memory of it, having also been there when it happened - but it was a long time ago now, and it’s quite possible I’m wrong. There was certainly debris all over the airfield (I thought some had actually hit that Herc), and it was amazing that no-one watching from the adjacent fields was hit by anything.

[Mogwi]

As I recall it, the Russian debrief was "punchy"!😊

[Jobza Guddun]

That was my memory of it, having also been there when it happened - but it was a long time ago now, and it’s quite possible I’m wrong. There was certainly debris all over the airfield (I thought some had actually hit that Herc), and it was amazing that no-one watching from the adjacent fields was hit by anything.

The falling wreckage of the one that impacted just inside the fence took off the end of the starboard tailplane of a Belgian C-130. On a video you can see people sat on the wing and one of them throws themself off the front! They were all ok though. As it bounced through the fence the wreck passed a group of people sat on a hay trailer just outside without injury. A wing pylon from the same jet punched through the port wing fillet panels on an Italian G222 on the same dispersal, fortunately without hitting anything structurally significant (or anybody!). Witnessed it from the Aussie F-111 parked southside and then saw the aftermath northside as we attempted to help the coppers secure the wreckage - at least one person I saw being lifted by security forces for taking souvenirs. Oddly enough, one of my strongest memories is of "suits" taking photos of the ejection seats....

[wub]

Plenty of videos of the incident on Youtube.

[OJ 72]

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x877/01d71925_3224_42b9_945d_b9ff9336b921_4ef15c78b70d9cca9074e80 5f980825b657b7674.jpeg

I had flown to Fairford on Fri 23 Jul 93 in the Bucc static aircraft, that doubled as the display spare! After a social lunchtime ‘tequila frenzy’ courtesy of a friendly Texas ANG KC 135 crew I was half dozing on the wing of the jet watching the Russian display and, even in my somewhat ‘dreamy’ state, I realised that their display wasn’t necessarily going to plan!!

The next day, whilst, ahem, ‘recovering’ I recall that a ‘spotter type’ (for some reason I believe that he might have been either German or Belgium?!?) was going along the static line offering to swap the attached photo** for a zap or two!!! He didn’t have to ask twice!! Seemingly this entrepreneurial chap had realised what he had taken, nipped into the nearest ‘ProntoPrint’ (if you’re a ‘Gen Z-er’ or a Millennial then Google it) and ordered about 50 or so express copies!!!

**Sorry about the quality...it’s a phot of a phot that has been stuck in my logbook for the last 28 years!!! 28 years!?! :eek: Where did that go?!? Time, like an ever rolling steam...

[garyscott]

As I recall it, the Russian debrief was "punchy"!😊

Yep, very short debrief . . . BANG! - light up a ciggy - plod back.
#2 following along in trail (larger distance than the norm).

:E

[chevvron]

I saw the collision at Fairford and I do not remember seeing any relevant cloud.. The wreckage of one of them did crash near a parked C130. I also witnessed the accident at Farnborough when an Atlantique crashed. That did fall on local infrastructure killing a lorry driver.
I thought the incident was partly attributed to one of the Migs moving out of position and when he tried to inform the other pilot, his transmission was blocked by a long conversation on the display frequency between ATC and another aircraft which was not involved with the Migs.
At Farnborough we already had a policy of no other aircraft on the display frequency and having separate TWR/GMC and Display frequencies in order to prevent unwanted 'distractions' like this and additionally the Flying Control Committee having access to the display frequency via a handheld so it's unlikely such a thing would occur at Farnborough. This was later reflected in the CAA Instructions to display organisers that there must be separate TWR and Display frequencies.
NB: Part of my job was requesting sufficient extra frequencies for the duration of the air show, allocating their use and writing the relevant instructions to other controllers.

[[email protected]]

I do remember there being some patches of cloud that they intermittently went in and out of - just watched a video of the event which confirmed that.

ISTR the only injury was someone twisting their ankle jumping off a Herc wing.

A few of us in the RW static park actually went to start engines in case assistance was required.

[wub]

ISTR the only injury was someone twisting their ankle jumping off a Herc wing.

Looking at the still photo above, it looks like there is someone sliding off the top of the Herc fuselage. I was there and have my own video but it is little different to the many others available.

[OJ 72]

If, through the mists of time I recall correctly, I believe that the starboard horizontal stabiliser of the Herc received a fair amount of damage!!

[pulse1]

Looking at the videos, I was wrong about the clouds. One thing I do remember clearly was that I anticipated the collision just before they bottomed out in their separate loops. I don't know why but it just looked wrong. I was a long way back from the display line so had a wider view of the whole scene. My son was somewhere closer to the action and my immediate concern was that he wasn't hit by any wreckage so my attention was focussed on the falling bits of Mig29. My friend said something about them both being out and it was only then I realised I hadn't thought about the pilots at all.

[BEagle]

We took a VC10K to Hradec Králové for their air show the previous weekend. During the show, I watched the same MiG 29 pair's display - we thought it was, to say the least, rather sporty. So they were immediately christened 'The Dangerous Brothers' after the Rik Myall / Ade Edmondson double act.

Amazing hospitality at the air show - including a striptease show at which one of the Victor ground crew 'donated' a velcro'd squadron patch to the performer...... All arranged by our Czech hosts; the invite read something like "The Commander-in-Chief of the Czech Air Force invites you to.........various events", including a beauty contest and that strip show! Wonderfully non-PC!!

[Finningley Boy]

Many thanks all, I was curious if it was possible that Farnborough's airfield could be that much smaller than Fairford to the extent that wreckage could fall, from the same point relating to the display datum, on suburbia instead of the confines of the field. Of course the limit on damage etc is only relevant, if some of the wreckage had bounced across a piece of dispersal that was occupied at the time the results could have been even worse should a Bowser or something been present? But I do recall on a previous thread somebody posting about Flt Lt Carter, ex-Red Arrows, finding the stark difference between the two locations.

FB

[bobward]

I was on the photo bus north side when this happened. As we were driving along the line of static jets some one said ' goodness gracious' or something similar, where upon we looked back and saw a MiG spiralling down.
Thirty seconds earlier, we'd been there. Driving back we could see bits of aircraft littering the ramp. What was impressive was how fast the Wessex parked there got airborne. If you're reading this, sir, blood well done, and to the emergency teams who made an equally rapid effort.

[cynicalint]

With reference to recent Harrier thread, the aircraft is between 10'-1000' off the ground and about to crash into the Woods/C130/display team/open ground/ Lancaster. depending on the height of the camera, length of the lens and the cropping of the frame!