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-   -   RAF VC10 accident in October 1984 (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/643173-raf-vc10-accident-october-1984-a.html)

tucumseh 13th Oct 2021 20:44


Originally Posted by morton (Post 11125772)
FILO What exactly are you hoping to achieve?
p.s. Is the CCWR still called 'Cloud & Clunk' radar?

Yes, it was. Not sure why you ask, but from the 80s-on there could be little expectation of consistent CCWR performance. The VC10 had a dual-transmitter fit of the Lo-Power variant, but like (e.g.) Hercules, suffered from a lack of assets, so quite possibly a service mod was issued to allow a hybrid, with the Hi-Power transmitter. But that needed complementary mods elsewhere, which were seldom if ever embodied. Such as, different circuit breakers and anti-vibration mounts.

The other main issue was thermal. There was a mod to upgrade from Germanium to Silicon, but MoD decided to embody it in slow time, over a period of many years. Decades even. The latter allowed a different and less stringent cooling convention, but a Germanium LRU fitted to a 'Silicon' aircaft would inevitably fail. You'd get No Fault Found on the bench, and it would fail again when fitted. Similar problems at Culdrose on the Radar Procedures Ground Trainer, with 9 Control Indicators causing a lot of noise, and cooling fans were removed. You had to demand by mod strike off number, which was ok until 1985 after which the RN did not control its own assets. In January 1988, AMSO (RAF) ordered the destruction of all component spares. Then replaced them. Then scrapped them again. Then.....

It is because of this I have sympathy with the VSO who was visiting Emerson in the US, looked at their nice colour Weather Radar (the whole thing cost about half a CCWR Transmitter) and said 'I want that'. Emerson launched production. The VSO was quietly told by DG Contracts that he had inadvertently committed MoD to a contract, which was quietly cancelled.

NutLoose 13th Oct 2021 21:22


Originally Posted by Jhieminga (Post 11126016)
Thank you morton! Much appreciated.

If the Aeropark at EMA would have taken on the whole thing, the tail would have been too high, and be too close to the active runway at East Midlands.

and the other way around it would have overhung the boundary.

morton 14th Oct 2021 10:01

Ref Cloud & Clunk Weather Radar (CCWR)

Yes, it was. Not sure why you ask

No particular reason tucumseh, just a flash back in time and thinking, with a tenuous connection, of the V-Bomber electronic suite curious namesthread.
A thorough and comprehensive reply on your part as usual.
p.s. my 100th post. Do I get a Gold Star or some sort of laudatory award now?

Jhieminga 14th Oct 2021 12:26

An honorary mention on my site will have to do I'm afraid. We're out of medals.
https://www.vc10.net/History/inciden...l#BrizeThunder

NutLoose 14th Oct 2021 15:20


Ref Cloud & Clunk Weather Radar (CCWR)
Commonly known as the yellatelly

Herod 14th Oct 2021 16:31


"That’s where the Captain asked the ground eng (K---- A--------) to relieve the first officer from the controls. K---- obliged by thumping the co-pilot and knocking him out."
Assuming this to be true, one hopes the Grd Eng was commissioned, and senior to the co-pilot. Otherwise cats and pigeons come to mind.

langleybaston 14th Oct 2021 19:04


Originally Posted by Herod (Post 11126427)
Assuming this to be true, one hopes the Grd Eng was commissioned, and senior to the co-pilot. Otherwise cats and pigeons come to mind.

Depends on "asked" or "ordered". Under the circumstances, I would expect "ordered".

We next move to the question of legality of the order. I reckon it would pass that test.

And the outcome seems to have been beneficial.

Case dismissed.

Herod 14th Oct 2021 21:34

Seems unusual though, unless the co was throwing a wobbly in the RHS. Usually a firm "I have control" should be enough.

vascodegama 15th Oct 2021 05:44

There are plenty of examples of CM where the perp/victim combo has been senior to junior and vice versa etc. LB legal order-I wouldn't ask you to defend at CM !

I am more curious as to how the co-pilot attempted to stop since even when he was the op pilot he did still not have his hands on the throttles during take off.

NutLoose 15th Oct 2021 11:21

Anyone remember the VC10 practice display when OC Ops? missed the centreline and we watched as shockwaves formed over the wings and he trailed vapour as he attempted to heave it back onto the line... when it landed they refused to say how much over G it pulled but said it had pulled "some" and tried to keep it quiet, the meter in the cockpit having been reset. That left the only option open to us to do a full over G check on it, that took longer than a day so when the Aircraft availability stats went in it was listed as over G checks.. needless to say that got some attention in places up the line.

sangiovese. 16th Oct 2021 09:15

I flew the aircraft for 13 years and never heard of this incident. Plenty of engine failures (and the occasional fight) but not this out of Deci

Tengah Type 16th Oct 2021 12:12

I flew the mighty beast for four tours, and was flying in a pretty Hemp coloured aircraft from the south side of the airfield on the date mentioned.
Not disputing any facts about the engine failure ( rare as it was ). If the co-pilot had acted as alleged i'm pretty sure we would have been given
a Flight Safety brief about it, or at least heard the scuttlebutt about 'X' being given an E Cat.

Anyway in my experience on 10 Sqn the Ground Engineer would not usually be on the flight deck but down the back enjoying a well earned cold
or hot drink and a plate of something rustled up by the Loadie. The Air Engineer, who would have hold of the throttles, would have prevented the
Co from further hazarding the aircraft, together with the Loud Shout of 'NO' from the Captain and Nav. The Air Engineer also had control of the
'Co-Pilot Control Tool' ( AKA Crash Axe ) stowed in his desk drawer!

Herod 16th Oct 2021 16:59

Tengah Type. Agree totally. I never flew the 10, but from C-130 experience, this just wouldn't happen. As for having to be knocked out, he would certainly be grounded for mental assessment.

sangiovese. 16th Oct 2021 17:25

I forgot the Eng used to lock his (and her!) wrist behind their Throttles So you couldn’t move them anyway

Tengah Type 16th Oct 2021 21:35

Herod & Sangiovese

Is it still allowed on PPrune for three people/persons/entities to agree on something? Seems quite rare these days!

farefield 19th Oct 2021 07:49


Originally Posted by Tengah Type (Post 11127662)
Herod & Sangiovese

Is it still allowed on PPrune for three people/persons/entities to agree on something? Seems quite rare these days!

No it isn't.

NutLoose 19th Oct 2021 09:39


Originally Posted by farefield (Post 11128791)
No it isn't.


I disagree...

Jetset 88 5th Nov 2021 14:43

VC10 October 1984
 
At the risk of coming late into this thread I can confirm that anything that occurred at Deci on 10 Oct 84 was definitely not an accident.
It may have suffered an engine failure but that would be reported in an Incident Report, unless the aircraft crashed or didn't land on a tarmac runway in one piece, which obviously wasn't the case.
I flew in the LHS to Nairobi, via Palermo the next day 11th October in a 10 Sqn aircraft and was route checked by gentleman Sqn Ldr Gwill Price from 241 OCU. I'm 100% certain that he would have mentioned any Deci 'accident' the day before.
We landed after the 11/12th overnight flight and I recall walking into the Intercont Hotel at NBO at about 0900 local on 12th October to hear the news about the Brighton Hotel Bombing whilst waiting in Reception for our room keys. Mrs T was a frequent pax on the 10 during that time so we were all quite shocked.
But no mention later back at BZZ of an accident at Deci. Sorry - Duff Gen.


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