RAF VC10 accident in October 1984
 

On 10 October 1984, an RAF VC10 suffered a major engine failure on takeoff from Decimomannu.
I am certain of the date because I was a passenger. The accident occurred 2 days before the Brighton hotel bombing.
I have searched numerous websites for the accident report, but it seems to be unavailable.
Can anyone help me with this please ?

What exactly are you hoping to achieve? An engine failure, major or otherwise (btw, I don't believe I have ever heard a passenger describe any mishap as anything other than "major") would not necessarily warrant an "accident" report (the clue is in the name). I would suggest your search for a report being "unavailable" is more likely to be non-existant I'm afraid. You may find somebody of that era in this forum who could help with your query however I'm sure I'm not the only one who would question your intentions.

Perhaps the incident was not classed as an accident and hence was treated as an engine failure - pure and simple.

Should this be the case there would be (possibly) an incident report but no accident report or investigation.
Old Duffer

One of the engines lost most of it's turbine and fan blades onto the runway, there was some damage to the adjacent engine, which was shut down in the air.
I was told that the co pilot attempted to stop after we had passed V1.

The passengers were all of the ground crew, and several aircrew, from 41 Jaguar Squadron.
I was an avionics technician at the time.
Several members of the ground crew, including myself were also experienced glider pilots, or private pilots.
I was informed that the co pilot had attempted to stop after V1 by a senior gliding instructor who was later the gliding CFI at Laarbruch.

You need BEagle. The thread was 'who remembers Deci'. He posted on 29th Oct 2004: '.…...Engine failure on take off in the VC10 to return to Colt. 10 minutes of fuel dumping over Sardinia.'
If it wasn't him my apologies.

Might have been away on a course when it happened or off shift, we did have one suffer a similar fate on the detuner when we were running it, boy did it shake.

Nothing to do with me - see https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...remembers+Deci

On the topic of detuners, I recall a bunch of idiots pushing a VC10K3 back into the pipes, having failed to NB that it was a 'Super' VC10 at heart and was rather longer than a VC10 C Mk 1 or VC10K2.....

Ours was snagged for slow to accelerate and after stabilising all the engines we proceeded to do slam checks at which point No 2 spat its dummy out along with the turbine IGV’s and a fair bit of the turbine, some speared and stuck in the detuners Colander, the rest went up and out like a mushroom cloud, the fire cover cpl sitting out front presented with his first real aircraft fire missed it lol, as we dumped the extinguisher into it and chopped the fuel.. the boss was worried of repercussions but I suggested what is better, us catching it on the detuner or it failing somewhere hot and high, full of pax on take off.

Apologies Beags, I didn't have it in that format and can now see 'lowfield heath' was the poster.

when you say the copilot "attempted to stop" after V1 did the aircraft stop on the runway or go off the end? Surely only in the latter case would it be classed as an accident.

FILO What exactly are you hoping to achieve?
What is so suspicious for someone wanting to know a bit more in something they were part of? Wouldn't you (especially Aircraft ground crew who know something of Aircaft workings) want to know why an Aircraft had an RTO or you heard a big bang? I know I did but luckily mine was posted in 'Airclues'. It wasn't really my first flight - that was on an air experience flight in a Hastings trying to catch sight of the Oil Rigs that were starting to sprout in the North Sea. The VC10 flight was Vulcan ground crew going to Andrews AFB for a weeks holiday whilst one of the 9/12/35 Squadron Vulcans did displays.
p.s. Is the CCWR still called 'Cloud & Clunk' radar?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2ee0fe2aa3.jpg

To best of my memory, RAF VC10's never had an accident as such, there have been a few incidents though as with many other aircraft types.

It's not listed on his site, but this guy may be able to help: https://www.vc10.net/index.html

I was on board. No, it didn't stop - see the comment about dumping fuel. It landed at Cagliari after dumping - Deci had closed by then (runway FOD - engine bits (34kg)) The Co Ppilot was relieved of his task, see a sooty colleague's comment:

"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."

early CRM RAF style?

Sorry, unable I'm afraid. I do not have any information about the engine failure at Deci other than what has been mentioned here or in the linked thread about Deci. I would be happy to add this particular incident to my website, but only if all the contributors here agree and if we can get the facts straightened out.

I can also add a bit about the XV108 thunderstorm damage based on the image posted by morton, if that is allright?

I can also add a bit about the XV108 thunderstorm damage based on the image posted by morton, if that is allright?
Absolutely fine by me.
I see from your site that 108 got pinged only 13 days after entering service. An unwanted distinction but I bet it was a pleasure to work on - still clean and able to read cable and pipe markings etc.

108 today, they could have had the whole thing but it wouldn't fit on site.


https://www.cliffibell.co.uk/p40327548#he0fdf9a5

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.