A/C down on M11....
 

Just spotted on web of an a/c down on M11, reportedly out of Duxford... any more info ??

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Motorway reopened after jet crash

Just read this on net:

One killed as jet crashes on M-way
3:50pm Sunday, 02rd June 2002

One person has been killed when an aircraft slid on to a motorway after its brakes failed on landing.

The privately-owned L39 jet failed to stop on the runway at Duxford and careered on to the normally busy M11 motorway, Cambridgeshire police say.

Amazingly the jet did not hit any cars before coming to a stop.

Cambridgeshire Ambulance Service says one person was killed.

The motorway was closed in both directions.

The plane, which was not part of a flying a display, came to rest lying across both carriageways, a police spokeswoman added.

A far as a spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire ambulance is aware there were no other passengers in the plane.

A spokeswoman for Duxford Airfield says no members of the public had been involved in the incident.

The airfield is at the site of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is investigating the accident.




:(

The L-39 came to rest on the M11 with one main landing gear unit apparently collapsed, and with minor damage to the leading edge and one wingtip. It looks more Cat 3 or Cat 4 than Cat 5.

The pilot ejected on the runway, but was killed, while the passenger in the back seat stayed put and walked away virtually unscathed! The TV news has it that they suffered brake failure on landing.

Doesn't the L-39 have zero-zero seats?

While sympathising sincerely with the pilot's friends and family, one can only hope that there is not an over-reaction to this tragic accident.

My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

The Ejector seats work at 90kts. If the a/c was on a training sortie the Captain would have been sitting in the rear seat.

Fortunately there wasn't traffic (or worse a traffic jam) on the M11.

Sorry, just repeating the TV news report re the status of the back-seater. (Always dangerous to believe anything....)

But my understanding is that the Czech seats in the L39 were supposed to be zero-zero not zero-ninety, unless you KNOW different.

The L-39 that went down was G-BZVL (formerly ES-YLB) and was owned by:

ROCKET SEAT LTD
THE SANCTUARY
HORNS CROSS, NORTHIAM
RYE
TN31 6JH

An unfortunate company name in the circumstances........

If Duxford is to remain active in this way would it not make a tad of sense to put a barrier up at the M11 end - this could so easily have been an oh-my-gawd, all for want of some simple safety aid. Don't suppose common sense will prevail, and the RAF go an install one for them..... as a sort of debt for keeping the TSR2 etc

Commiserations to the pilots family for a sad weekend.

Anyone know who the GIB was? A "former senior RAF officer?"

FYI
 

1. According to BBC 'Ceefax', the guy in the front who died on ejection was Mr Gary Clark, from Potters Bar, Herts. He was the Aircraft's co-owner. No word on the GIB, though.

2. According to Mr Maxi Gainza's article 'Slovak Fighter School' in the March 1994 'Pilot' mag, the L-39 Albatross is equipped with a Czech built VS-1-BRI ejection seat. He says this seat works at zero height, but only at speeds above 150kph.

150 kilometres/hour = 150 x 1000 = 150,000 metres/hour

To convert metres to feet, x by 3.281

So, 150,000 x 3.281 = 492150 feet

Knots = nautical miles (6080 feet) per hour

Therefore 492150/6080 = 80kts

Could someone please check this, think its right..... :rolleyes:

.....Presume that it must be an old fashioned 'cannonball' seat, without rocket assist?

The GIB was Andy Gent

Jackonicko,

L39 Seat.........Zero / 90 Kts. Basically the same as the JP Seat.

Rota

Interesting point by another poster (Reheat). If Mil Fast Jets are being operated from Duxford, and bearing in mind it's proximity to a major motorway, it should have a barrier. After all, there's plenty spare: Chivenor's, Brawdy's, Wattisham's...etc etc

Tragically sad for the front seater, but could have been so much worse. Hopefully we'll see what a lucky escape this was, and fit a barrier asap.

Oh, sorry, that would mean learning from mistakes...silly me!

Rota

I've flown a Hawk into Duxford several times and its pretty tight, especially the motorway end. With frequent FJs movements there a barrier would be essential.
Condolences. :( : tragic.
The BBC interviewed the co-owner as the L39 was being lifted off the motorway. He was asked if the cause was an aircraft problem. He replied that it coundn't have been an aircraft fault because it had been maintained so well.
The wreckage was still warm and he was implying aircrew error;
inconsiderate, tactless, pompous arXe.
:rolleyes:

isn't this the second L39 incident in recent memory?

Perhaps you are thinking of the L29 (Delfin) accident at Eastbourne in August 2000?

Min Decent Ht,

I agree re: the co-owners comments after the crash.

A little bird told me that when the brakes failed the pilot (in the rear seat) tried to retract the undercarriage to slow the a/c. Although he couldn't because the u/c lever was wire locked (apparently).

What was that about good maintenance?

It is not unusual for 'emergency' controls to be wire locked in order to provide a broken 'tell-tale' indicator when they have been operated.

However, the wire used for such purposes is a particular type that can be easily broken. I believe there have been occasions when incorrect and much stronger wire was found in situ.

lm

In days gone by the Duxford runway was always regarded by my flying club as being just a little tight for first solo X-countries for PPLs. Surprising perhaps, to choose to use it for conversion training for the aircraft owner, or am I way out of line and way off base?

I might have this wrong but isn't "wiring" of various controls in the rear of the L-39 a requirement of the CAA for granting a UK CoA?

Seats in the jet are zero / 90kts capable. It appears that the a/c was only doing approx 20kts when the passenger banged out. They are good ....but not that good.

Here is the mfr info to stop the rumours:

http://www.l39.com/download/Envelope.pdf