Tractor Crash

[MightyGem]

Nearly choked on my cocoa when I came across this:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/738x850/tractor_a9938d96997a0449cde5dc4527c69d37152e9d36.jpg

[SilsoeSid]

I’m led to believe that this was at Yeovilton during the ski jump development.
A Saturday morning after the night before saw the VAS lads give it a whirl.... rumour has it that “What could possibly go wrong?”, were the parting words as the Massey Ferguson began its run up :ok:

[Wensleydale]

There goes one of my saved pictures for the Cap Com...

[Wensleydale]

I’m led to believe that this was at Yeovilton during the ski jump development.
A Saturday morning after the night before saw the VAS lads give it a whirl.... rumour has it that “What could possibly go wrong?”, were the parting words as the Massey Ferguson began its run up :ok:

Its not a Massey Ferguson but a Fordson Super Major.

[SLXOwft]

I want to know if he is wearing a tie?

[milodon]

the original with the tractor and Lightning reversed is arguably more impressive
I can't post links or URLs, but if you Google "Jim Meads on Sep. 13, 1962" you'll find it - and the story

[admikar]

Wrong. I have never seen tractor doing air work.

[DogTailRed2]

Is that an Air Tractor?

[treadigraph]

Thank God he ejected safely, it would be an arable way to die...

[pasta]

Thank God he ejected safely, it would be an arable way to die...
That's the corniest joke I've heard in a long time

[Expatrick]

That's the corniest joke I've heard in a long time

Without anteseedent!

[Sallyann1234]

Thank God he ejected safely, it would be an arable way to die...
But he barley got out in time.

[SLXOwft]

He said it was a harrowing experience

[RAFEngO74to09]

Here's the original Lightning crash from 1962.

It was a Lightning F1 which crashed on final approach to Hatfield on 13 Sep 62 whilst engaged in Red Top trials.

The photographer was paid GBP $1,000 for the photo - GBP 26,738 in 2024 money - and the MOD tried to put a "D" Notice on it.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=56567

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lightning-Ejection.jpg

[DogTailRed2]

"Your rake, your rake"

[Mogwi]

Just about to plough in!

[OJ 72]

At Linton, when I had aspirations to be a member of the Two Winged Master Race, my handling was described by the CFI as ‘agricultural’!!! 🤔 Now it all makes sense!!! 🚜😁

PS…Finningly finally brought me to my senses!!! 😎

[ShyTorque]

Its not a Massey Ferguson but a Fordson Super Major.

Two seconds later it looked like a Messy Ferguson.

[Expatrick]

I hate it when people crop photos!

[Dr Jekyll]

Plough the fields and scatter.

[Expatrick]

Somebody barnstorming again!

[bobward]

Normal for Norfolk........

[ORAC]

Thank God he ejected safely, it would be an arable way to die...
I understand he bought the farm…

[pilotmike]

"Your rake, your rake"
Ho ho hoe!

[pilotmike]

But he barley got out in time.
A rye observation!

[Wensleydale]

Just about to plough in!

A harrowing experience!

[Rheinstorff]

Here's the original Lightning crash from 1962.

It was a Lightning F1 which crashed on final approach to Hatfield on 13 Sep 62 whilst engaged in Red Top trials.

The photographer was paid GBP $1,000 for the photo - GBP 26,738 in 2024 money - and the MOD tried to put a "D" Notice on it.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=56567

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lightning-Ejection.jpg

It's a footnote, I know, but it's very fashionable to say MOD tried to apply a D Notice (From Aviation_Safety.net: until the Ministry of Defence tried to put a "D Notice" on the photograph banning its publication, which confirmed that it was indeed real and not a fake!).

The D Notice (now DSMA) was always voluntary, so the wording from the quote makes me suspicious of its veracity. D Notices were not imposed, they were agreed with the editors and journalists concerned.

It's hard to imagine what reason could have been cited for trying to 'ban' the photo. It's plausible, I suppose, that a request might have been made to delay publication to avoid any compromise of the inevitable Board of Inquiry. Nevertheless, I've never seen any authoritative source indicate that a D Notice was sought on this photo, merely a number of websites repeating the claim and often using exactly the same words; repetition does not, alas, make a claim more true!.

I'd be delighted if anyone could point me to an authoritative source that confirms a D Notice was sought..

[pulse1]

A silly question with reference to the possibility of a fake photo, why is the tractor driver looking over his right shoulder at something happening on his left side?

[DogTailRed2]

A silly question with reference to the possibility of a fake photo, why is the tractor driver looking over his right shoulder at something happening on his left side?
Just the camera angle. Pivot the camera to the left and you'll see the true picture.

[DuncanDoenitz]

And he had just been talking to the photographer, so his body was already pivoted right.

[jolihokistix]

They've just completed shooting. The trailer will be released shortly.

[fallmonk]

That should be a RAF‐Lutons post 🤣

[GeeRam]

DH's TP, George Aird, crashed through the roof of one of the greenhouses you can see in the background.
In the later 70's while still a TP for BAe George Aird spent a number of years as display pilot for BAe's Mosquito RR299, and also in the mid-80's after retiring from BAe flew the trans-Atlantic ferry flight of Kermit Weeks Mosquito B.35, from the UK across the Atlantic to Florida.

[DogTailRed2]

Did the chute fully open? Looks like a close run thing.

[UV]

A silly question with reference to the possibility of a fake photo, why is the tractor driver looking over his right shoulder at something happening on his left side?

As others have pointed out he was already communicating with the photographer in his two o’clock.

No doubt the cameraman said something really explicit and he wouldn’t want to waste time turning the other way as Lightning Never Strikes Twice.

[Fortissimo]

Did the chute fully open? Looks like a close run thing. Good question! Both George Aird and his seat ended up a few feet apart inside the greenhouse and he is reported as suffering multiple fractures, but it is not clear whether those came from rate of descent or from impact with the greenhouse structure. The photo was taken during the seat separation phase, which puts it around 1.5 seconds after the BTRU tripped when the seat left the aircraft. One of the WIWOLs will no doubt be able to remember the delay from initiation to seat movement to allow for canopy separation, but I think 0.5 secs would be close to the mark, so about 2 seconds total into the whole sequence. Yes, it was close.

[treadigraph]

George Aird with Kermit's Mossie in '87...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztdyyOYRe8&t=23s

[SLXOwft]

Assuming an MB Mk 4 was fitted to the P1B as with production aircraft

The seat should have functioned as follows:

The pilot pulls the face screen seat firing handle
Canopy jettison initiated
Ejection gun fires, seat moves up guide rails and the secondary cartridges fire
Emergency oxygen tripped
Aircrew services disconnect
Leg restraints operate
As seat rises, static line initiates time-delay which fires drogue gun after 0.5 seconds
As seat rises, static line initiates time-release unit 22 in. dia then 5 ft dia drogues stabilise and slow seat

Below 10000ft, (low speed)

1.5 second (3 seconds on earlier Mk 4 seats, 1.25 sec on later Mk 4 seats) after initiation of time-release unit
The plunger releases scissor shackle to transfer pull of drogue to lifting lines of parachute, releasing it from seat
Release face blind
Harness and leg lines released from seat
Drogues deploy main parachute, pilot separates from seat
Normal descent
Manual separation system available if necessary. Operation of manual separation handle fires a cartridge that operates a guillotine, severing the parachute attachment line, linkages function releasing parachute harness, negative-g strap, PEC and leg restraint cords.
Freeing parachute from seat. Pilot can then use rip cord to operate parachute.

First successful ejection using a Mk4 was from a G.91 in March 57 - XG332 ff 29 May 1959 so I assume it was an early model seat

[balsa model]

A silly question with reference to the possibility of a fake photo, why is the tractor driver looking over his right shoulder at something happening on his left side?

Just the camera angle. Pivot the camera to the left and you'll see the true picture.
I don't see how the camera angle could manage to show the right side of the tractor while the event was happening behind and on tractor's left side.
And he had just been talking to the photographer, so his body was already pivoted right.
Add to this that the trigger sound source was probably quite far behind the current position of the delta winged glider.
Also add to this that the sound was travelling a bit slower that day, putting even more distance between what the camera captured and where the sound source was.

[langleybaston]

I don't see how the camera angle could manage to show the right side of the tractor while the event was happening behind and on tractor's left side.

Add to this that the trigger sound source was probably quite far behind the current position of the delta ????????? winged glider.
Also add to this that the sound was travelling a bit slower that day, putting even more distance between what the camera captured and where the sound source was.

Pardon?
Much more likely one hearing aid had run out of battery.

[balsa model]

... delta ????????? winged ....
Oh dear.. a morning brain fart. I've seen so many front-quarter pictures of this plane - its best looking side by far I think - the brain must have started completing the pictures with what it likes to see.
Some of you here actually flew it - many apologies.

[teeonefixer]

In my limited and long-past experience of these things, a Right-handed person will leave that hand free for the hydraulic controls (on the right) and it appears the implement has controls that are biased to the right. Most offset implements are on the right (mowers, balers etc.) so it is natural to be looking over that way.

[DogTailRed2]

There is a dark object top left of the image. Is that the canopy? If it is that would be when the tractor driver heard the bang. So maybe he looked in the direction he did because the noise was in that direction?

[Slow Biker]

That picture used to adorn many ejection seat servicing bays.
I stand to be corrected but considering the accident rate in those days and the proliferation of the Mk4 seat, I would guess it saved more lives than any other MB seat.

[Ninthace]

The pilot, although attached to the drogue and deploying chute, seems to be slightly lower than the airframe doing its impression of a simonized brick. Was Galileo wrong?

[GeeRam]

Aerial photo of crash site at end of Hatfield's runway.
You can see the broken glazed roof panels in the greenhouse 2nd from left, where George crashed through.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/600x433/e_jmdb6wqaiolgr_05746d1757855a829a307eca4908fa238762bca5.jpg

[CAEBr]

The pilot, although attached to the drogue and deploying chute, seems to be slightly lower than the airframe doing its impression of a simonized brick. Was Galileo wrong?

My understanding was that the airframe was tumbling during its descent. It may look like a well thrown lawn dart but that was just how it was caught at the instant of the camera shutter operating, the pilot and seat were likely ejected downwards and thus overtook the airframe.