teeteringhead

And the Sun (one occasionally scans it to see what the troops are reading) described it as a "botched landing" .... I might just speak to my lawyers about that if I were the pilot.......

Wader2

Interesting. Now what would one suggest? Ejector seat in the runway caravan? Retractable tower? What criteria for manned facilities?

We have had Lightnings in crew rooms, U2s in Met Offices, more than one aircraft in a control tower, aircraft on public roads and even aircraft hitting aircraft.

Apart from the costs of increasing the landing area and demolishing and rebuilding all the structures further out, we simplay have insufficient real estate on this already crowded island.

Lurking123

Dunno, just a musing. I've certainly been places where people are far closer to an active runway without an operational need (Northolt's Officers' Mess and the old ATC Regional HQ springs to mind). JSP *** used to be very specific; the RAF was quite good at having a siting board, ignoring the document and building/using things regardless.

NutLoose

WHAT? Double Glazing and plastic handles, no brass to polish or nice draughty window frames....... What is this mans AirForce coming too? When I was a lad............

Your getting soft I tell ya......soft...............


Pic posted on Britmodeller..

The Real Slim Shady

Very shabby bit of parking.

there's a free space next to the blue car

And why do people doing recruitment allow folks to become pilots when their names are obviously too big for the space in a logbook!!

PeteBee

I was always surprised by the proximity of the ATC to the main runway with nothing in the way like some stations where there are pans and dispersals between the towerand the runways so I'm not surprised in the least that the Hawk ended up in the car park.

It's reported in the Telegraph that the Hawk was being ferried to the Reds for use and an eyewitness stated that "as the aircraft touched down, it's undercarriage gave way and it lost control and swerved to the right. Two loud bangs followed as the aircrew ejected."

Thank goodness for MB Zero-Zero Death Dodgers (and conveniently placed pyro stores and Landies)

Although thinking about it, in order to have landed on 27 and ended up in the Cranners ATC car park and have "swered to the right" then it's done a massive swerve as shown below



Note: this is in no way the actual path of the downed hawk - merely an illustration

Pontius Navigator

Serial 37 has a good picture of the tailfin which shows no damage on the spin. Is it possible the tailfin was damaged as it demolished the pyro store?

Looking at other bits, wings, nose, tailplane, it does indeed look like part assembled bits from an airfix kit. Should be easy to rebuild (at least for the accident investigators).

goudie

At Scampton the 'Gin Palace' was not very far from the runway (probably the same elsewhere). Stood outside one day to watch a Vulcan land, minus nosewheel. I don't think we techies thought too much of the close proximity. That's the way it was.

taxydual

I was a Caravan Controller on the late '70s, early 80's. Felt as safe as houses, until an F1-11 decided to cement Anglo-US relations with a very, very low overshoot. Never knew broken glass could defy gravity. Enjoyed the slab of beer the crew 'apologised' with though, thanks guy's.

Being sat 60' from the touchdown area didn't seem dangerous at the time.

Hmm, the daft things you would put up with then. What would the H and S brigade think now?

The Vulcan Vomit. 6 Vulc's on a scramble. The ground shook, the caravan shook, you shook, vomit followed. Happy days.

taxydual

Further to my last. My old mate (also ex-caravan controller) and I, have been perusing this site. (Please excuse us, we have been celebrating B of B privately, so many lamps have been swung and sandbags pulled).

We've discovered numerous poster's whose 'Finals, Three Greens' calls we have witnessed. OK, RAF Yorkshire mainly. Leeming CFS, RFS, RNEFTS (ignore the 3 greens call for them). Linton, Dishforth and Topcliffe (good old Navy).

We've taken drink, but to you guy's who have entertained the pair of us for years (and frightened us a few times), a hearty CHEERS and STAY SAFE.

Way off thread, I know, but I hope the Mods will accomodate two drunken idiots this once.

Regards to all.

Per Ardua Ad Astra.

nacluv

Just a quick question (or two). Where have the 2 photos depicting the ground 'skid path' disappeared to? Have these been deemed to be sensitive, whereas the detailed photos of the wreckage have not?

advocatusDIABOLI

I Know this is a 'rumour' site, but we really should avoid wild ass guesses!

IF it was a 'wheels up', there's lots of possible ways to do that in a Hawk, IF it was a wheels colapse - Same, IF it was manual overide- Same.


So......... Please all be happy and pleased that the crew are bruised, but generally OK. Oh, and it doesn't matter a 'Figg' who the crew were.

We'll all dive for the nice glossy when it hits the crewroom table in...... 17 years!

Advo

PS: FSC and FLAC candidates will probably get a good brief.
PPS: Some great shots tho, anyone for a caption comp?

Lurking123

PPPS "Please all be happy and pleased" that those in ATC/GRMS are also "generally OK".

sitigeltfel

I recall the pic of the Lite with its nose buried in the office building, a bit fast on the taxiway along with brake probs IIRC. Anyone got a copy of it that they can post?

kokpit

Was that at Coltishall? I believe a Rolls-Royce Rep was presented with a copy on his leaving in the early 80's, along with a mounted Shack Pee-Tube and a Merlin piston ashtray!

MAINJAFAD

I think its in Mick Jennings ‘RAF Coltishall Fighter Station’ Book, if not the Radar Museum at Neatishead were given Coltishall's photo archive when the station shut and I've seen a few photo's of the 145 Sqn/226 OCU single seater embedded in the office area of one of the hangers within that collection.

ricardian

The Scarborough Evening News has covered this event, complete with photograph

Lurking123

I'm sat in the pub earlier this evening. One of the regulars (someone I have shared beer with for 5+ years) a civilian engineer at Shawbury, collars me as an RAF type and recounts a tail of a Reds 'pilot' who didn't quite make the grade but still has a 'relationship' with the team. Chap took off from Strawberry and, some time later, forgets to put his wheels down on landing at Cranners. He jumps out, neglects to tell the chap (engineer?) in the back that it is time to leave but, luckily, everything turns out OK.

Now I treat this individual with the degree of cynicism he deserves. However, I am somewhat concerned that this is the sort story that is being percolated.

Please feel free to admonish me for spreading the 'word', but i think it is all to easy for us to only to hide behind our own perceptions.

hoodie

I don't believe you when you say that you are "concerned".

If you were, you wouldn't "percolate" it a damn sight further than those who happened to be beaking into your jabber in the lounge bar of your local.

Pure Pursuit

Lurking,

if what you're mate is saying indeed true, his story neglects one major fact...

If the wheels were not down, upon impact, the electrics would have cut out denying the crew the use of radios so, the pax's first and only indication of the pilots intentions may well have been the initiation of the front seats fireworks.

In other words, your mate is talking out of his arse when he suggests that DW 'neglected' to give his backseater a heads up.