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Sheefa
14-11-07, 22:38
Anyone else heard about this? Very sad news.

I can only hope that as it was BAE pilots flying that they weren't undertaking any low-level flight training as that would be awful. No idea how this could of happened and certainly think it's one of the only cases I've heard of a fault on our Torndaos to this degree.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/7095214.stm

Si (Heckler) - anyone on your base know of the person killed? Bet the mood on base is very somber.

RIP.

Greg

Pete
14-11-07, 22:40
That's a bit weird. Ejected whilst flying upside down?

Sheefa
14-11-07, 22:50
Clearly a mechanical failure Pete. I'm sure he was just as bemused when it happened. Scary stuff indeed.

SupraStar 3000
14-11-07, 23:14
Always sad to hear :(

heckler
15-11-07, 08:24
Anyone else heard about this? Very sad news.

I can only hope that as it was BAE pilots flying that they weren't undertaking any low-level flight training as that would be awful. No idea how this could of happened and certainly think it's one of the only cases I've heard of a fault on our Torndaos to this degree.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/7095214.stm

Si (Heckler) - anyone on your base know of the person killed? Bet the mood on base is very somber.

RIP.

Greg

noone i know - i'm now a Odiham ;) Civvi crew anyway. looks like BAE covering its self up as they now do all the major work on the tonka fleet.

philstowell
16-11-07, 10:35
thats bad to hear, im on a tacp at the minute so work with the tonkas a fair bit?

Rob
16-11-07, 10:46
Quite a malfunction then, if the 'chute didn't even deploy.
Is it just the U.S. who have the fancy ejectors that turn you skywards even if you bang out at low level upside down, or do we have them as well?

heckler
16-11-07, 10:49
Quite a malfunction then, if the 'chute didn't even deploy.
Is it just the U.S. who have the fancy ejectors that turn you skywards even if you bang out at low level upside down, or do we have them as well?

chute will only deploy if the handle is pulled, if the handle was pulled the pilot would have gone out as well. so if you ask me, the seat fell out.

Rob
16-11-07, 10:55
But the navigator was sitting in the seat. We don't know the facts yet, like whether the canopy was detonated, or whether the poor bugger was ejected through it.

It all seems like such a laugh when I see them banging around above the moors near me, but you forget they're right on a knife edge.

Rob
16-11-07, 10:58
chute will only deploy if the handle is pulled, if the handle was pulled the pilot would have gone out as well. so if you ask me, the seat fell out.

Oh, I see what you meant now, there's no individual option, it's one out, all out.

A bit like British Leyland in the '70s.

heckler
16-11-07, 11:05
Oh, I see what you meant now, there's no individual option, it's one out, all out.

A bit like British Leyland in the '70s.

yup. if the handle is pulled, the canopy will shatter - which would annoy the pilot somewhat. and he would have followed the nav.

dangerous brain
16-11-07, 11:58
Erm from what I remember if the pilot pulls the bang handle they both come out, if the navigator pulls his handle then the nav goes on his own leaving the pilot behind.

Rob
16-11-07, 12:12
Erm from what I remember if the pilot pulls the bang handle they both come out, if the navigator pulls his handle then the nav goes on his own leaving the pilot behind.

Naah, surely not, what if the stick jockey is unconscious. The map monkey must be able to save the pair of them rather than leave his best buddy to go down in the plane.

Soop Dogg
16-11-07, 12:53
Seat fell out. There was damage to the lower part of the tail which would be highly unilkely if the seat had banged out in its' intended way. (In which case it would be unusual to find damage to the top of the tail never mind the bottom of it)

Must have been a bit of a shock - for about a tenth of a second.

heckler
16-11-07, 16:48
i've had an update - the seat fell out. oops. he didnt eject.

heckler
16-11-07, 16:50
Naah, surely not, what if the stick jockey is unconscious. The map monkey must be able to save the pair of them rather than leave his best buddy to go down in the plane.

there is a selectable switch - single or both seats. its normaly set to both

Pete
16-11-07, 16:50
One of our guys here used to work on Tornados at that base. Ian Cox.
Telling me some interesting stories.

Did you know in the event of an electrical fault they're designed to switch to full throttle?

heartworm
16-11-07, 16:52
One of our guys here used to work on Tornados at that base. Ian Cox.
Telling me some interesting stories.

Did you know in the event of an electrical fault they're designed to switch to full throttle?

That to prevent a stall of the wings? Or just to make sure nothings left if it hits enemy territory?

Rob
16-11-07, 16:56
One of our guys here used to work on Tornados at that base. Ian Cox.
Telling me some interesting stories.

Did you know in the event of an electrical fault they're designed to switch to full throttle?

Pink Floyd lyric? "Point me at the sky and let it fly"

Pete
16-11-07, 17:09
It's in case they're on a bombing run and have problems they can try and get the hell out of the hostile zone on full throttle and eject somewhere safer if required.