Lightning Down At FAOB
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I realise we're talking about a very experienced pilot, with an aircraft I would hope is maintained in a relatively ' take your time ' manner.
However, if faced with a massive control failure, at a stressful period of the flight, might it be natural to think in terms of an instantly physical ( hyd' ) snag rather than something one might think a little more gradual like fire, of course this makes several assumptions as in no fire warning, who knows what the hyd' instruments were reading...
It seems no fire warning was mentioned, so if that system didn't work for any reason I suppose hydraulics ( possibly leaking through damage by then ) seem a likely culprit to suspect in the time available ?
However, if faced with a massive control failure, at a stressful period of the flight, might it be natural to think in terms of an instantly physical ( hyd' ) snag rather than something one might think a little more gradual like fire, of course this makes several assumptions as in no fire warning, who knows what the hyd' instruments were reading...
It seems no fire warning was mentioned, so if that system didn't work for any reason I suppose hydraulics ( possibly leaking through damage by then ) seem a likely culprit to suspect in the time available ?
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A tribute to the men who fly 'Warbirds' - and to the aircraft .....
Shown below is a link to some early Lightning formation aerobatics by 74(F) squadron filmed 3 years before Dave Stock was born.
YouTube - BAC/English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning was a supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and natural metal exterior. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. Renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor, RAF pilots described it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". English Electric was later incorporated into the British Aircraft Corporation, later marks being developed and produced as the BAC Lightning.
The Lightning was used throughout much of its service life by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The aircraft was a regular performer at airshows and was the first aircraft capable of supercruise. The Lightning was also one of the highest performance planes ever used in formation aerobatics.
YouTube - BAC/English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning was a supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and natural metal exterior. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. Renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor, RAF pilots described it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". English Electric was later incorporated into the British Aircraft Corporation, later marks being developed and produced as the BAC Lightning.
The Lightning was used throughout much of its service life by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The aircraft was a regular performer at airshows and was the first aircraft capable of supercruise. The Lightning was also one of the highest performance planes ever used in formation aerobatics.
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Preliminary Accident Report
Priliminary accident report can be downloaded from South Africa CAA site here
http://www.caa.co.za/resource%20cent...009/ZU-BEX.pdf
http://www.caa.co.za/resource%20cent...009/ZU-BEX.pdf
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Seems quite conclusive for a prelim.
Sad loss for the pilot and his family.
One can but hope he's in a bar somewhere with a cold one, watching the sunsets and planning tomorrows flight. - Heaven, planes are not required.
Sad loss for the pilot and his family.
One can but hope he's in a bar somewhere with a cold one, watching the sunsets and planning tomorrows flight. - Heaven, planes are not required.
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Re: Preliminary Accident Report
While this interim report concentrates solely on establishing the facts of the accident, one would hope that a final report will criticise the operation of the airshow. Had the airshow director observed the break out of fire in the jetpipe/rear fuselage and at a one third chord position under the tailplane (as was captured by photographers on the airfield), the display could have been terminated and the aircraft brought down, possibly before the failure of the hydraulics.
Surely, with such potentially lethal 1940s/50s technology being displayed in the presence of a large gathering of spectators, the display director should have been following the complete display routine like a hawk?
Further, the SACAA seems to be falling over itself to be seen to be taking action to reach an outcome "to ensure the continued safety of passengers transported in South African airspace". I would have thought that the safety of the public on the ground was its primary aim. The carriage of passengers in Lightnings, surely, will be banned forever.
The SACAA says it wants to involve "the manufacturers". Are British Aerospace really going to take any interest in, as I've already said, such potentially lethal 1940s/50s technology which was maintained 24/7 in a Cold War ambience by a vastly bigger maintenance organisation? And yes, I know, the Vulcan is from the same era, but it's a completely different machine.
Surely, with such potentially lethal 1940s/50s technology being displayed in the presence of a large gathering of spectators, the display director should have been following the complete display routine like a hawk?
Further, the SACAA seems to be falling over itself to be seen to be taking action to reach an outcome "to ensure the continued safety of passengers transported in South African airspace". I would have thought that the safety of the public on the ground was its primary aim. The carriage of passengers in Lightnings, surely, will be banned forever.
The SACAA says it wants to involve "the manufacturers". Are British Aerospace really going to take any interest in, as I've already said, such potentially lethal 1940s/50s technology which was maintained 24/7 in a Cold War ambience by a vastly bigger maintenance organisation? And yes, I know, the Vulcan is from the same era, but it's a completely different machine.
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Baedeker. I certainly hope they do not ban the carriage of passengers in the Frightening. A fatal accident is always a chain of events and what needs to be done is to ensure that this chain is broken, before another event. Maybe they need to tighten up the procedures regarding the seats, maybe they need to increase maintenance on a certain aspect of the jets. What they should not do is ban it, progress comes with an element of risk. This poor pilot died despite trying everything possible ( I draw this conclusion myself after reading the prelim) due to a series of problems happening at the same time.
Banning the flying is not the answer.
Banning the flying is not the answer.
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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I for one would like to know whether the canopy was on when it hit. I could not find any reference to this in the report - please put me right if I missed it.
While we're on the subject of the seats and related items, the report mentions an incident relating to ZU-AHV where "the ejection seats were found to be unservicable" - something that I suspect the authorites may find much more worrying than the tragic accident itself. Can anyone shed light on the ZU-AHV incident/accident, my search skills have let me down.
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Previous information was that the canopy was found with the main wreckage, in a position that suggests that it was on when the aircraft hit. That is not in the report, as far as I can see, and neither is any confirmation that the seat pins were found where you would expect them to be as a result of the actions of the seeing-off crew, i.e. in their stowage. Thus a great deal needs to be established, in my view, before the serviceability of the actual ejection seat can be questioned.
My initial reaction to the report is that the most significant word in it is 'Interim'. There must be much, much more to come.
My initial reaction to the report is that the most significant word in it is 'Interim'. There must be much, much more to come.
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Crash site
John,
from people that were there minutes after the crash and from photographs I have taken from the air, (and of course the image from the report) it is clear the impact was huge and debris scattered over a wide area! To my knowledge, no parts of the canopy have been found so I do believe the canopy was still in place!
What I found interesting is the distance apart from each other the engines where!
I have not posted any of the photographs anywhere for obvious reasons however, now the images
and lat/long has been disclosed within the report, if anyone wants me to post some, I shall. They are not super quality but do show the entire area and clearly some of the main aircraft parts.
AB
from people that were there minutes after the crash and from photographs I have taken from the air, (and of course the image from the report) it is clear the impact was huge and debris scattered over a wide area! To my knowledge, no parts of the canopy have been found so I do believe the canopy was still in place!
What I found interesting is the distance apart from each other the engines where!
I have not posted any of the photographs anywhere for obvious reasons however, now the images
and lat/long has been disclosed within the report, if anyone wants me to post some, I shall. They are not super quality but do show the entire area and clearly some of the main aircraft parts.
AB
The report states that fuel venting was evident on taxi and take-off run....but from this photo, is this fuel or hyd fluid pouring out of '451 on it's last take-off......
I don't ever recall seeing RAF Lightnings venting fuel in such a heavy fashion, on take-off when in service.....
I don't ever recall seeing RAF Lightnings venting fuel in such a heavy fashion, on take-off when in service.....
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Thank you GeeRam, that is the first time I have seen that very important photograph.
From its volume alone (and its colour, hyd fluid is red) that is unburned fuel, and looks as if it is coming from the rear fuselage under the No 1 jetpipe, and from the ventral tank attachment area in the bottom of the fuselage. No, Lightnings never did that in service, there are no arrangements for venting fuel in that area.
Could this be from pooled fuel in the bottom of the fuselage, accumulated (by dripping through the jetpipe gas seals) from the abortive start the day before (HP cock open, no ignition...). Take-off acceleration causes it to flow aft, just in time to contact a reheated jetpipe (reheat not necessary for a T5 take-off but engaged here for the display, according to a friend who saw it). Hence the later in-flight picture of an established fire in the Reheat Zone 3.
From its volume alone (and its colour, hyd fluid is red) that is unburned fuel, and looks as if it is coming from the rear fuselage under the No 1 jetpipe, and from the ventral tank attachment area in the bottom of the fuselage. No, Lightnings never did that in service, there are no arrangements for venting fuel in that area.
Could this be from pooled fuel in the bottom of the fuselage, accumulated (by dripping through the jetpipe gas seals) from the abortive start the day before (HP cock open, no ignition...). Take-off acceleration causes it to flow aft, just in time to contact a reheated jetpipe (reheat not necessary for a T5 take-off but engaged here for the display, according to a friend who saw it). Hence the later in-flight picture of an established fire in the Reheat Zone 3.
Originally Posted by D120A
Could this be from pooled fuel in the bottom of the fuselage, accumulated (by dripping through the jetpipe gas seals) from the abortive start the day before (HP cock open, no ignition...). Take-off acceleration causes it to flow aft, just in time to contact a reheated jetpipe (reheat not necessary for a T5 take-off but engaged here for the display, according to a friend who saw it). Hence the later in-flight picture of an established fire in the Reheat Zone 3.
Surely they just didn't park it up after the flame-out engine incident, and then get in and start it and taxy for a display the next day without any investigation and inspection...
And what of the start-up and seeing-off crew......not Lightning experienced TC staff perhaps....
Is BP still living out there and involved with TC I wonder..?
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SA CAA Report August 2012