Tornado Down
 

Sky News is reporting a Tornado having gone down in Lincs, with both having ejected. Fingers crossed everyone is ok and uninjured.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...238390,00.html

Fingers crossed for both of the Chaps.

more info from BBC news ..... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6080376.stm


and now SKY News saying both Pilots taken to Hospital ......

Latest report states both crew picked up, fingers crossed they're both ok.

Press Association:

.....Both crew members on board ejected safely and were rescued by Sea King helicopters from RAF Wattisham and Leconfield. They were taken to a hospital in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, with spinal injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening.

Get well soon guys.

Plug for the CHF here. The first helo on scene was a Junglie Sea King who happened to be in Lincolnshire with the yellow helicopters boys arriving about 15 mins later (no disrespect implied). Spartan 2 (GR4) stayed on task for the best part of an hour with Rocket also loitering as 'top cover'.

From looking at the radar, it would appear that Chap took a very well considered turn into the range before jumping out. The feeling we got from our end was that the injuries were nothing more than could be expected after a premeditated ejection.

I've heard through official channels that the crew ejected safely; it was of personal interest as my lads serviced the seats. Beyond that no word has got here.

Was it a Marham jet definately?

Hope crew are ok, and a well done to the rescue services:ok:

Local radio in Norfolk has had the Station Commander giving a brief statement, so yes it was a Marham GR4

Any Sqn been discussed?

BBC news 24 just interviewed Stash at Marham who says he has spoken to both crew, who are both well.
Still no news of which sqn, but at least they're ok - get well soon guys.

Edited to add: Saw off a junglie Sea King from EGXW today, wonder if they were involved (in the rescue)

Two more candidates for a free tie then!

4 hrs since the jet crashed and already over 1500 views of this thread. Must be a lot of ex fin mates on Prune. Must admit that the first thing I did when someone came in the office and said a GR4 had crashed was to log on to Pprune.

Good to see the BBC trying to get the crew composition right ie pilot and navigator (wonder if it was a pilot check in the trainer :} ) rather than the usual pilot and co-pilot tosh.

callsign Spartan should be GR4 or GR4A with 2 Squadron, assuming Spartan2 was same flight as Tonka in the drink

glad to hear crew ok

According to the radio the local lifeboat crew could "see the fin sticking out of the water" so a look at Anglia TV tonight may show some Sqn markings if they got anywhere near enough to film.

Glad to hear both got out and wish them a speedy recovery.

Sky, and on their interactive, have footage of the intact aircraft sitting erect on the marsh.

Just heard on Classic Gold that our boys have now been moved to St Georges (never heard of it and I originate not far away) hospital in Nottingham as it's a better place for spinal injuries. Do hope these chaps are ok....

modtinbasher,

Standard practice for all ejectees. Nottingham and Haslar are the 2 nominated locations with specialist facilities and clinicians having expert knowledge of spinal injury due to ejection.

lm

St Georges? Thought Queens was still the destination for ejectees?

The Notts hosp is the specialist unit for spinal injuries. The then OC Ops at Cottesmore was choppered there immediately after his crash a few years ago. They patched him up with spinal scaffolding (it now sits mounted on his desk) and he was flying again within a year.

Glad to hear the guys are ok...

LS, .... and they were most certainly outside of the range for a significant amount of time during the emergency. :) :) :)

PS. Not really worth arguing over.

Junglie Sea King...
 

...from Yeovilton which I saw off was the first on scene. Just got back now covered in mud and said the guys were ok with the exception of the usual post-ejection type stuff (sore back and feeling mighty shocked). I took the liberty to say thank-you and well done on behalf of the guys involved. :ok:
They gave details of the crew and possible cause (having chatted to them whilst waiting for the yellow cab), but I don't think it's my place to tell, it's good enough that they're ok.

LS, I have PM'd you.

latest: 31sq crew but 2sq bird, reportedly multiple birdstrike at low level

Tornado down in the wash, crew safe
 

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/arti...-C1-Headline-5

Reports on the BBC suggest they are being treated for spinal injuries, presumably as a result of the kick up the bum they recieved when ejecting.

Which got me thinking... I know the eject motor need to produce high g when the plane is going fast but what about when it's going slower? Do modern ejector seats have variable power to minimise spinal injury or is it an all or nothing shot? Are most of the ejections these days low speed peacetime events?

Knowledge is power...

Local paper has story with a picture at:

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...A24%3A20%3A993

So it was a 2 Sqn jet

Brill. Thanks for that, I thought it was duff reporting. I'm glad they are in safe hands anyway!

TMJ... often wonder where the work went to after the great boys in 7 Sqn Saints lost the task, perhaps you'd PM me and bring me up to date would you? I spent many a happy hour down in the seat bay.

Right up to the point when the CWP lit up :)

sw

:suspect: Indeed...:}
Didn't want to appear aloof/snotty, just have learned from previous threads how people don't always respect the privacy of those involved and their families. In order to continue the one-upmanship (is that how you spell it??), it would appear that earlier avian;) comments are true...

Unfortunately not! It's not so much the speed in a straight line that is the killer, it's high rates of descent close to the ground where the ejection process doesn't have time to complete fully (.ie shute doesn't deploy). Would be nice to be able to turn a dial for a premeditated ejection (not saying this one was) to a leisurely 10G! In the case of the Tornado however, you do have an enormous Fin to clear! Modern seats are much more 'spine friendly' and accelerate the seat in stages as oppossed to the mighy 25G bang seats of old which was instant! In terms of what types of ejections are most common they vary hugely. Most emergencies that are internal to the aircraft will provide an amount of time to slow the aircraft down or gain some extra height. Some emergences however, such as control problems may require an instant ejection. External factors such as mid-air collisions/bird or wire strikes vary widely but you may only have a split second to decide if the aircraft is still controlable. So really....how long is a piece of string.........

I believe the Royal Artillery has trialled the mud life jacket and made a mud-extraction training film to boot.:}

Totally off thread and making light of a serious accident but here is the film made of the trials that PN mentions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5SQiHrDN0U

Seriously though, hope the chaps involved make a swift recovery.:)

Cwatters- The Harrier seat has two pitots which flick out into the airflow post mdc detonation . They sense the forward airspeed and decide on a 'fast' or 'slow' ejection depending on what they find. Obviously speed is far more critical in the case of a Harrier ejection in terms of what the seat has to do compared to most fast jets having almost exclusively reasonable forward airspeed .
Modern seats are far more gentle on the occupants due to the rocket pack . However posture is still a major factor in reducing spinal injuries.

Firstly, glad the two of them got out in one piece and I wish them a speedy recovery.

Secondly, I've not laughed so hard in a while; funny vid.:D

Sev

utter wasters
 

the lot of you. turn your computers off and get a girlfriend. Go join your Wife in bed. It is some years since I first logged onto this site, and was so stunned by the lack of professionalism I promptly logged off promising never to return. Finding nothing on Sky this eve I decided to break my promise. What a mistake. How utterly disappointing. 'I saw him turn into the range' from London Mil! it beggars belief, who let a spotter on the console? 'i know who picked him up but I cant tell you about it' - give me strength. I see you lot wont let the poor Chinook crew rest in peace either without STILL dragging your case forward in glaring public view for the sake of your own vanity.
I am utterly ashamed at myself for joining this torrid train, and promise to forgo it another 10 years before my optimism in the human race results in an another visit to see if Darwin was right and you have all disappeared.

My Wife is calling.

Wrong time of the month ?

Thank fcuk for that, then...