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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 2188.PDF
Birdstrike on take-off LONDON 8^1is^K$S;Si!s: Bolivia-bound T-33 A Lockheed T-33A-N stages through Glasgow en route to the Bolivian Air Force. This particular aircraft was one of three delivered on June 19. The aircraft are ex-French Air Force, and are being refurbished by CIPRA in France. Eighteen have been ordered. A Royal Air Force Jet Provost crash-landed immediately after take off when an instructor took action to avoid a birdstrike. Jet Provost T.3A XN473 took off from Flying Training School Cranwell on August 15, 1984, with an instructor and a student pilot. Immediately after getting airborne, at about 20-30ft, the instructor saw a flock of birds directly in front of the aircraft. He raised the air craft's nose, but then realised that it would not be able to fly over the birds. He decided to abandon take-off, closed the throttle and lowered the nose. This attempted landing had little effect on the rate of descent and the aircraft hit the runway heavily, bursting both mainwheel tyres and collapsing the nose under carriage leg. The JP came to rest almost off the runway. Both pilots escaped unhurt, but the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair. The accident investigation board decided that the instructor was correct to abandon the take off, but his subsequent decision to close the throttle when the aircraft was at a very low airspeed forced it to land excessively heavily. Appropriate action was taken against the instructor. Birdstrike on landing LONDON A multiple birdstrike caused a Royal Air Force Jaguar pilot to eject on the approach to RAF Lossiemouth, Scot land. On September 19, 1983, Jaguar GR.l XX114 reached about 100ft above ground level on finals when the pilot, a student on the Jaguar Operational Conversion Unit, saw a flock of birds rise from a field just short of the runway. He took avoiding action by starting an overshoot—but then a second large flock of birds appeared directly ahead of him. The pilot was unable to avoid the second flock and at least 19 birds struck the aircraft, many of them going down the engine intakes. The aircraft decelerated, began to descend, and flames were seen coming from the engine exhausts. The pilot ejected successfully and the aircraft crashed beside the runway and was destroyed. The accident report states that the birdstrike caused both engines to suffer a major loss of power and to break up. The pilot took correct action to avoid the first flock, but was then powerless to avoid the second. Cat claws Canberra LONDON Canberra B.2 WJ678 of the Royal Air Force was carrying out practice interceptions with a second Canberra over the North Sea on October 19, 1983. Both crews had been briefed on the possibility of clear air turbulence (Cat) occurring at high level, so the pilots descended to a lower flight level, when they experi enced moderate turbulence during the first interception. After three more inter ceptions the pilot of the No. 2 aircraft initiated a right turn, during which he intended to descend and increase speed. Halfway round the turn he felt several bumps through the airframe and the aircraft began rolling to the right. The pilot was unable to correct the roll until the aircraft became inverted and, in an effort to regain control, he selected full airbrake. After a period of buffeting the g forces relaxed and the aircraft was left in a steep nose-down attitude from which the pilot was able to recover. A cockpit inspection showed that the aircraft had been severely overstressed during the loss of control, but an in-flight inspection by the formation leader revealed no signs of damage and the aircraft landed safely at RAF Wyton. A subsequent investigation revealed that the aircraft had suffered severe overstress damage. It was decided that the aircraft had encountered Cat in association with a high- level Jetstream known to be in the area at the time. Following the undemanded roll the aircraft accelerated into a flight regime where the effects of aerodynamic com pressibility reduced the effec tiveness of the flying controls, and the aircraft's behaviour became unpredictable as a consequence of the changing Shockwave pattern in the airflow. Recovery was brought about by the combined effects of airbrake, natural drag, and the increased air pressure that occurs with height loss. It was decided that the pilot was not to blame for the initial loss of control, but his perception of the problem and his recovery technique were criticised. • A Lockheed F-104G Star- fighter of the Royal Danish Air Force crashed into the sea north of Hirsthals on March 21. The pilot, of 726 Sqn, Aalborg AB, was killed. • A US Army Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter hit a power cable and crashed in South Korea on March 26 during a low-level flight in Exercise Team Spirit '85. The two crew members were seriously injured. • Two Royal Danish Air Force General Dynamics F-16As collided on April 1 north of Ribe. The pilots, both of 730 Sqn, Skrydstrup AB, ejected safely. • A Royal Air Force BAe Hawk T.l crashed into a house near Stowmarket, Suffolk, on April 17. The aircraft was based at RAF Valley, but had just taken off from RAF Wattisham. The pilot ejected at about 250ft. • A Dassault-Breguet Mirage III of the Royal Australian Air Force and its pilot, Fit Lt I. Davidson, were lost at sea 60 n.m. off the coast of Darwin on June 20. The aircraft, from 75 Sqn, disappeared from radar screens during a night time low-level interception exercise. An extensive search failed to locate either the aircraft or its pilot. The RAAF has lost 41 of its fleet of 110 Mirages since deliveries began in 1963. 14 FLIGHT International, 6 July 1985
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