True story?

[Adverse Jaw]

Many years ago, I was told by an ATCO the tale of when as a trainee at a smallish East Anglian airfield in the 1960’s, a call came from a neighbouring American airbase. They had a flight of fighters (Sabres, I presume) very low on fuel and requested that they over-fly his airfield at low level. Certainly! So, he loaded his Very pistol, intending to fire a red flare to send off the solitary non-radio aircraft in the circuit. But, mistakenly, he fired a green. At that moment, the flight of four turned up, obviously desperate, saw some tarmac, a green flare, - and so landed, - all four of them overrunning.
A recovery team was sent out to dismantle and retrieve the aircraft, at the conclusion of which they good-naturedly awarded a Very cartridge mounted on a plaque with an inscription celebrating his achievement in shooting down four aircraft with one bullet!
Any elucidation?

[Dick Whittingham]

Dunno, but here's three more:

Hunter pilot from Chivenor mistakes south coast of Wales for north coast of France, or something like that, and lands at Weston-super-mare. Small concrete patch for initial impact, but aircraft was dismantled for removal.

The famous Bruggen wing cockup. Diverted to Wahn. ATCO gets praise for standing on tower balcony firing a series of green verys while aircraft land in many directions

707 misses Kai Tak, overflies Lion Rock and lands at Sha Tin. I bet you didn't even know they had an airfield at Sha Tin. Like wise dismantled for removal

Dick

[chiglet]

Air France [twice] had to "overshoot" Woodford, and re position to Manchester...
USAF F111 doing [ultra] Low Level flyby at Woodford, [during the Woodford Air Show] gave everyone a treat, by flying at <100ft M 0.90 [1st time for everything.....] between the Tower and runway at Manchester [Ringway]....missing a BAC111 on Finals, and one that had just departed...
Mind you, it was cloudy.....

[philbky]

...then there was the Pan American 707 that landed at Northolt, not to mention the AN-22 delivering spares to the AN-124 at Farnborough in 1988 that tried to land on the cross runway (the southwest part of which was being used as a car park) and turned finals when over the active, landing on (well the port main wheels landed off, hitting the grass) and just stopped at the runway end and had to use reverse props to back and turn around.

[233SQN]

or about 15 yrs ago (?)the BA 747 that was making a night time ILS approach to Heathrow's 27R in clag and on making visual at a couple of hundred feet realigned with the A4 Bath Road thinking it was the runway..... he climbed out just in time narrowly missing one of the airport hotels..

[Fareastdriver]

IIRC the Heathrow incident resulted in tragedy. The captain claimed that the aircraft had aligned itself with the Bath road during the approach which was the reason for the mistake. Despite this he was held responsible and was suspended. This affected him so much that he eventually committed suicide. Some time later the same aircraft did exactly the same thing again.

In Singapore in the 80s, Paya Leber was the international airport but RAF Changi used to have its fair share of inadvertant arrivals. Lufthansa was the main culprit.

[ICT_SLB]

And then there was the BUFF that did a precision overflight of Farnborough 2004 - you can just see it in my video - over Odiham I think.

[twochai]

Or the BOAC Connie which landed at Cartierville, mistaking it for Dorval. The World's Favorite Airline was forever after known locally as: 'Been Over At Cartierville'.

In fact, maybe that's why it was re-branded??

[John Eacott]

Juhu Airfield, Bombay, had a DC-8 arrive unexpectedly back in 1972, link. It mistook Juhu for SantaCruz, and landed on a too short runway, finishing up in local houses after transiting a monsoon ditch.

I've a vague recollection that a Caravelle (or similar) did the same, but managed to stay on the runway, and departed after some severe weight reduction

[BelArgUSA]

233sqn -

The incident you refer to is about the G-AWNO 747-136 on 21 NOV 1989...
Google it as the "November Oscar Incident"
The details are worth being read.
xxx

Happy contrails

[JEM60]

G-AWNO incident. Stephan Wilkinson of 'Flying' Magazine wrote a superb article in defence of Capt. S. Huge pressures on him. Malfunctioning auto pilot, and a far from well First Officer.

[Farmer 1]

Didn't a B52, due to give a flying display at Farnborough, with its thousands of attendees, give it instead at Blackbushe?

I find that a tad worrying.

I understand both spectators enjoyed the show immensely.

[ICT_SLB]

Farmer,
That's the same one I saw from the chalet at Farnborough - so much for GPS P-code!

[Fareastdriver]

I've a vague recollection that a Caravelle (or similar) did the same

It was a Comet. The first Comet in India. The inaugural BOAC jet flight into Bombay.
As you said, all the seats out and minimum fuel to stagger to Santa Cruz. Very embarrassing.

[Liffy 1M]

Didn't a B52, due to give a flying display at Farnborough, with its thousands of attendees, give it instead at Blackbushe?

I find that a tad worrying.

I understand both spectators enjoyed the show immensely.

I seem to remember (but can't now find) a posting in an on-line forum by an air traffic controller who worked this aircraft at the time. He indicated that there was some reason that it was held in the Blackbushe area and that the non-display at Farnborough related to something like a problem with the display slot. While it makes for a good story, I find it very hard to believe that the crew of an aircraft which can navigate half-way across the world to strike a pinpoint target would just somehow fail to find its display destination, especially if it was receiving an ATC radar service at the time.

[Farmer 1]

the crew of an aircraft which can navigate half-way across the world to strike a pinpoint target would just somehow fail to find its display destination, especially if it was receiving an ATC radar service at the time.

That's the bit I find a tad worrying.

How's that for selective quoting? You've just gone and spoilt a good story, Liffy.

[Fareastdriver]

Apparently the airfield used by Martin Baker south-west of Aldergrove had a few unscheduled arrivals. One turned around and took off again, downwind.

[JEM60]

Liffy 1M. Not the first time it's happened in England.Some years ago, a Duxford show was to be opened by an F.4 Phantom from Lakenheath. The commentator was in contact with it, and when it was due, it failed to arrive, but turned up 20 mins later.A couple of Tiger Moths circuit bashing at CAMBRIDGE had a nice view of it as it hurtled down the main runway at 100 feet and God knows how many knots. I can vouch for this, as I was at the show, and the resultant investigation was reported in the Safety Section in 'Pilot' magazine some months later. Presumably the crew were sentenced to 'flying transports full of rubber dog s..t from Hong Kong' Quote from Top Gun, of course.

[Liffy 1M]

Found the old B-52 thread, here:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ckbushe-6.html

The relevant information is in post #107 : ".... the ATC gents decided to vector them and they followed, knowing they were being put out of position. When they were 2 miles from the approach end 3 miles to the left they were cleared for their "hard right turn to line up"! This obviously was not doable and they flew a safe path. The ATC gents now know a B-52 cannot pull 5 g's to overfly a runway full of spectators. The situation has been resolved and they have made their fly-by's on time and target since. "

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I find it very hard to believe that the crew of an aircraft which can navigate half-way across the world to strike a pinpoint target would just somehow fail to find its display destination, especially if it was receiving an ATC radar service at the time.

Ha! You should have been at various Barton airshows in the '80s! US display aircraft frequently failed to find the field despite a radar service from Manchester. One guy did find us, did one fast, low pass..... and then lost the field and was never seen again (got low on fuel and had to return to base befor he managed to find us again)!

Never had any problems with RAF display acts at those shows.