How time flies by - F4 Crash, Abingdon 88
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Have we any 1980's display members atound who could confirm this?
My understanding is that all displays have to be authorised (rubber stamped) before the start of the display season to ensure they are fit for purpose, but more importantly safe for the crew & spectators. However, accidents will still happen.
There was a case in 1983 when an impromtu Lightning display was not authorised, but very sadly the pilot concerned paid the ultimate price when the display went wrong. On this occasion, the pilot concerned was the Lightning display pilot for the season and a very good one (in subjective opinion), however I digress...
There was a case in 1983 when an impromtu Lightning display was not authorised, but very sadly the pilot concerned paid the ultimate price when the display went wrong. On this occasion, the pilot concerned was the Lightning display pilot for the season and a very good one (in subjective opinion), however I digress...
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Gainsey wrote "A memorial would be nice Neil, but a fin sticking out of the ground might not be the best choice in this case. "
Point taken Gainsey... i can see where you are coming from
Just thought also almost a year later a 14sq Tornado hit a flock of birds whilst departing mid evening en route back to Bruggen 2 days prior to the 89 show, with the crew steering the stricken jet away from houses with the jet crashing in oday hill, think the navigator banged out near the tescos otherside of the A34 & pilot sticking with it a little longer..
I was program packing in E hangar when we heard it taking off and then the alarms going off & a case of "oh no not again".. sorry for the thread divert.
Point taken Gainsey... i can see where you are coming from
Just thought also almost a year later a 14sq Tornado hit a flock of birds whilst departing mid evening en route back to Bruggen 2 days prior to the 89 show, with the crew steering the stricken jet away from houses with the jet crashing in oday hill, think the navigator banged out near the tescos otherside of the A34 & pilot sticking with it a little longer..
I was program packing in E hangar when we heard it taking off and then the alarms going off & a case of "oh no not again".. sorry for the thread divert.
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I was in ULAS at the time and was assigned the task of watching the practice displays to ensure that the a/c did not cross the display line. Another squadron member and I were given a car and positioned ourselves at the Western end of the display line. Said F4 crashed whilst travelling directly towards us and, as we ducked into the footwells, parts of the disintegrated a/c thudded into the ground around us.
Nothing hit the car, which is simply remarkable. Knowing where we were, several squadron members believed that, at the very least, we must have been in significant danger of injury.
We then walked up to the impact site, which is where my memory, I suspect deliberately for self-protection, is vague, suffice to say it was not pleasant. A tough introduction (I was in my first full year on the squadron) to military flying.
Whilst I didn't know them, my sympathies remain with the families of Chris Lackman and Jack Thompson.
Nothing hit the car, which is simply remarkable. Knowing where we were, several squadron members believed that, at the very least, we must have been in significant danger of injury.
We then walked up to the impact site, which is where my memory, I suspect deliberately for self-protection, is vague, suffice to say it was not pleasant. A tough introduction (I was in my first full year on the squadron) to military flying.
Whilst I didn't know them, my sympathies remain with the families of Chris Lackman and Jack Thompson.
Crikey, this site knows how to tickle the memory - sadly I recall this accident all too well, but for a somewhat unusual reason. At the time I was the Non-Public Funds deskie at Brampton. I had been discussing insurance a week or so before with Abingdon's OCPMS, and I suggested that if weather or operational considerations caused cancellation of the Abingdon Open Day, their non public funds could take quiet a hit, and they might consider insuring against cancellation or bad weather. After a lot of hassle (not least from his boss) they did insure. I was horrified when I heard that the show was cancelled not due to weather but due to this tragic accident. Never in my life have I wanted to be more wrong. I felt like a modern day Job. A very sad and sobering event.
I was watching from outside 6 AEF, saw the F16 display then decided to go back inside when the F4 started so saw nothing but heard the boom. Agree, a salutary introduction to military life.
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The worst part of the whole accident was the ITV footage of the wreckage strewn all over the place filmed from on the airfield on the Sunday, IIRC.
I assume that was shown to keep the masses quiet, and point out why the show didn't happen.
It was like my memory of the site between Walcott and Billinghay near Coningsby of the aftermath of the pair of 228 OCU FGR.2s that collided in April 82.
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I assume that was shown to keep the masses quiet, and point out why the show didn't happen.
It was like my memory of the site between Walcott and Billinghay near Coningsby of the aftermath of the pair of 228 OCU FGR.2s that collided in April 82.
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The 228 collision is one I will not forget. Only one of the aircraft crashed, the crew of the remaining aircraft did the most spectacular job of recovering the aircraft to Coningsby. I watched the aircraft taxying in - one of those "how the hell did he keep that flying?" moments. Respect.
Not many of you may realise this but Chris Lackman was also the Vulcan copilot on Black Bucks 4, 5 and 6, the defence suppression missions flown from ASI to the Falklands. Black Buck 6 resulted in an emergency diversion into Rio International. Chris's captain was awarded the DFC for that mission but Chris also played a big part in the recovery, which was touch and go all the way in with the aircraft de-pressurised at 45,000 ft, the door hatch open and difficult to re-close, the crew on pressure breathing for 30 mins, and with 2 Northrop F-5s in chase. The aircraft landed with only 1500 lbs of fuel (insufficient for one visual circuit). For the very first time (and after some 34 years) this story has now been told in its entirety in Tony Blackman's book, Vulcan Boys. This story has never been told before, which includes technical detail of how the Shrike missiles were launched against Argentinian radars, the diversion into Rio, and the involvement of the CIA and Pope John Paul VI in the crew's release. A riveting read.
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I sometimes Google this crash and, having found this forum, I thought I would add my thoughts....
This was a really sad day. I had just started at Abingdon College a few weeks earlier. I was a huge aviation fanatic at the time and we had seen planes rehearsing for the Air Day all day.
After College, I was walking up to where Wootton Road meets Long Tow to meet my dad for a lift home. As I got into the car we remarked on the Phantom overhead. It was only a couple of hours later at home that we heard on the news that it had crashed, killing the crew.
It was a very strange experience because that very week I had been to RAF Biggin Hill for aircrew officer selection - and failed. Certainly made me think!
Having just read the accident report (thanks for the link wiggy) I had always assumed that the crash had happened some time later. However, reading the report, the Phantom couldn't have been over Abingdon for more than a couple of minutes (flyover, 360 turn and fatal loop). I can only assume that we missed the fireball by one or two minutes at the most. We were heading north through Wootton and it was probably behind us or obscured by trees or houses. I think the Phantom was either doing the overflight or, possibly, I saw it in the 360 deg turn.
It's an odd feeling having missed the crash by such a short margin - not that I would have enjoyed having that on my memory.
The crash was the talk of Abingdon for years and, as this forum demonstrates, some local people still remember this tragic event.
My question is this: why didn't they eject?
This was a really sad day. I had just started at Abingdon College a few weeks earlier. I was a huge aviation fanatic at the time and we had seen planes rehearsing for the Air Day all day.
After College, I was walking up to where Wootton Road meets Long Tow to meet my dad for a lift home. As I got into the car we remarked on the Phantom overhead. It was only a couple of hours later at home that we heard on the news that it had crashed, killing the crew.
It was a very strange experience because that very week I had been to RAF Biggin Hill for aircrew officer selection - and failed. Certainly made me think!
Having just read the accident report (thanks for the link wiggy) I had always assumed that the crash had happened some time later. However, reading the report, the Phantom couldn't have been over Abingdon for more than a couple of minutes (flyover, 360 turn and fatal loop). I can only assume that we missed the fireball by one or two minutes at the most. We were heading north through Wootton and it was probably behind us or obscured by trees or houses. I think the Phantom was either doing the overflight or, possibly, I saw it in the 360 deg turn.
It's an odd feeling having missed the crash by such a short margin - not that I would have enjoyed having that on my memory.
The crash was the talk of Abingdon for years and, as this forum demonstrates, some local people still remember this tragic event.
My question is this: why didn't they eject?
My question is this: why didn't they eject?
An aviation physiologist might put it better but in my experience this is a case where you are busy working the problem and not 100% knowing of the outcome.
You know you are in trouble but i imagine right until almost the end the majority of cognitive focus is on making the aeroplane turn better to escape in this case.
For example say a wing falls off - as soon as the brain has register this (and that the aircraft is unflyable) then the pilot will have no decision to make - just gone!
But where you can (might) fly out of a situation that is where the mind goes - and to the exclusion of other options - When it is obvious that it is too late - it is too late!
You know you are in trouble but i imagine right until almost the end the majority of cognitive focus is on making the aeroplane turn better to escape in this case.
For example say a wing falls off - as soon as the brain has register this (and that the aircraft is unflyable) then the pilot will have no decision to make - just gone!
But where you can (might) fly out of a situation that is where the mind goes - and to the exclusion of other options - When it is obvious that it is too late - it is too late!
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