Air Display Accident Lincolnshire c1954
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Air Display Accident Lincolnshire c1954
The sad event which occurred at the air display in Nevada recently has
reminded me of an accident at a display in Lincolnshire about 1954, but which was not as serious as the one in America.
My recollection is that our family were leaving the Lincolnshire display
when a 'plane either exploded in the air or just broke apart. This must have been in the afternoon as my father was about to take us home to Boston in Lincolnshire.
Two of my brothers and I had to dive under parked cars to escape the falling
debris but my youngest brother did not: he survived with his dungarees slashed from
hip to ankle, fortunately without a scratch upon him.
Over the years I have not been able to discover any information about this
accident but one suggestion was that the pilot survived but that a tractor driver was
killed by falling debris. I wonder if any PPRuNe subscribers have any other information.
reminded me of an accident at a display in Lincolnshire about 1954, but which was not as serious as the one in America.
My recollection is that our family were leaving the Lincolnshire display
when a 'plane either exploded in the air or just broke apart. This must have been in the afternoon as my father was about to take us home to Boston in Lincolnshire.
Two of my brothers and I had to dive under parked cars to escape the falling
debris but my youngest brother did not: he survived with his dungarees slashed from
hip to ankle, fortunately without a scratch upon him.
Over the years I have not been able to discover any information about this
accident but one suggestion was that the pilot survived but that a tractor driver was
killed by falling debris. I wonder if any PPRuNe subscribers have any other information.
Yes, the casualties were the four man crew of the Vulcan: Keith Sturt 29, Richard Ford 35, William Howkins 25 and Flt Lt Raymond Parrott 28 and Sgts Edmund Simpson 39 and Charles Hanson 35 who were ATC assistants in the runway caravan and SAC John Tonks 23 a fireman.
This aircraft had the more powerful engines installed and the wing leading edge broke back due to pressure before a more general disintegration.
The still photo makes it look almost 'calm' but the film clip shows how rapid the breakup was and why nobody made any attempt to eject.
Old Duffer
This aircraft had the more powerful engines installed and the wing leading edge broke back due to pressure before a more general disintegration.
The still photo makes it look almost 'calm' but the film clip shows how rapid the breakup was and why nobody made any attempt to eject.
Old Duffer
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Very many thanks to both for such speedy postings. I have just looked at the YouTube clip of the Syerston crash which does have a certain resonance relating to my recollection but I feel it is just too 'modern' - if only for the fact that my youngest brother would have been 7 and at which age he would no longer have been wearing dungarees!
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I am wondering if it was a Gloster Meteor F. 8 that broke up during a display at RAF Coningsby. 19 September 1953 74 Sqdn WA836 . The pilot was Flying Officer Patrick Russell Ward aged 21.
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The aircraft was Meteor WA836 of 74 Sqn.
Another Meteor crashed during an air display at Wyton that day, whilst a Tiger Moth crashed at Binbrook.
Dangerous places these air displays!!
Another Meteor crashed during an air display at Wyton that day, whilst a Tiger Moth crashed at Binbrook.
Dangerous places these air displays!!
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Dear All,
It was an air traffic controller who originally said that PPRuNe would be able to point me in the right direction and how right he was.
Many thanks for all your contributions: I reckon that T-21 is right and my guess on the date is only one year out. Boston less than 20 miles from Coningsby: not that far to take 4 young boys on an outing. Now that I have a date and location it should be easier to research further. Should I find anything then I'll post a comment accordingly.
TTFN, Michael
It was an air traffic controller who originally said that PPRuNe would be able to point me in the right direction and how right he was.
Many thanks for all your contributions: I reckon that T-21 is right and my guess on the date is only one year out. Boston less than 20 miles from Coningsby: not that far to take 4 young boys on an outing. Now that I have a date and location it should be easier to research further. Should I find anything then I'll post a comment accordingly.
TTFN, Michael
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Thanks Michael,
My source is the excellent book "Cold War Shield " by Roger Lindsay.
During a moderately fast run at Coningsby At Home display in a shallow dive the aircraft began to roll to the right but as it passed through 90 degrees it broke up scattering wreckage over a considerable distance including the spectator area.
My father was a Sergeant pilot on No74 Squadron at Horsham from Feb 1951 to Jan 1953. By the time of the accident he was flying Tempest TT.V's at Pembrey.
There was an earlier thread with some more detail http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ts-1953-a.html
My source is the excellent book "Cold War Shield " by Roger Lindsay.
During a moderately fast run at Coningsby At Home display in a shallow dive the aircraft began to roll to the right but as it passed through 90 degrees it broke up scattering wreckage over a considerable distance including the spectator area.
My father was a Sergeant pilot on No74 Squadron at Horsham from Feb 1951 to Jan 1953. By the time of the accident he was flying Tempest TT.V's at Pembrey.
There was an earlier thread with some more detail http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ts-1953-a.html
Last edited by T-21; 29th Sep 2011 at 19:31.
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At Last
For many years I have been trying to find out about a long nosed meteor crash that occured in RAF Conningsby when I was a young boy. My memories are that a Lancaster bomber with guns trained on the crowd came over followed by a upside down Vampire then the meteor flew in fast over the runway pulling up when it exploded. My grandmother threw me to the ground and covered me with her body. Sadly the experience ,plus witnessing the Farnborough air atlantique crash whilst I was working at the then RAE Establishment put me off flying until very recently. I have tried many times ,including phoning RAF Conningsby to find out about this crash but no one seemed to have any knowledge of it. Thank you very much for bringing this information to my notice - I now know that I wasn,t imagining it !
Swanniey: the F8 Meatbox wasn't 'long nose'; the long nose ones were NF11 and NF14 (I stand to be corrected) and both were 2-seaters, the '11 having a 'greenhouse' canopy like the T7 (one of which crashed at Farnborough in 1975 while I was off duty) and the '14 had a clear canopy.
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Michael F and Swanniey,
Should you wish to obtain the loss cards (Air Ministry Form 1180) for these accidents, you can contact the Royal Air Force Museum.
They hold many loss cards; there is usually a small copying charge.
You require the Department of Research & Information Service (DoRIS), their e-mail is researchATrafmuseum.org (replace AT with @), or alternatively, their telephone number is 020 8358 4873.
At a minimum, you need a date and/or serial number. As corporal punishment has already provided this, the rest should be easy.
The National Archives also hold copies of full accident reports; details on how to access the records can be found on their website.
A quick search revealed that they hold the records for Vulcan VX770 and Meteor WA836.
I trust that this is of assistance. Do let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Don
Should you wish to obtain the loss cards (Air Ministry Form 1180) for these accidents, you can contact the Royal Air Force Museum.
They hold many loss cards; there is usually a small copying charge.
You require the Department of Research & Information Service (DoRIS), their e-mail is researchATrafmuseum.org (replace AT with @), or alternatively, their telephone number is 020 8358 4873.
At a minimum, you need a date and/or serial number. As corporal punishment has already provided this, the rest should be easy.
The National Archives also hold copies of full accident reports; details on how to access the records can be found on their website.
A quick search revealed that they hold the records for Vulcan VX770 and Meteor WA836.
I trust that this is of assistance. Do let us know how you get on.
Kind Regards,
Don
