View Full Version : Red Arrows Pilot Accident?
Herr-Berbunch
11-08-11, 09:47 AM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15640104
Reports of refuelling incident, and/or ground ejection with parachute failure.
Not a great year :cry:
Oh man, not again...terrible news. They've had such a good record too.
Hope the pilot makes a full recovery.
HunterICX
11-08-11, 10:56 AM
Aye...let's hope they don't keep this trend up :-?
hopes for a full recovery of the pilot.
HunterICX
Herr-Berbunch
11-08-11, 12:53 PM
Confirmed dead! :cry:
RIP whoever it is.
Sadly the pilot has died.
Eyewitnesses report seeing a Hawk with a smashed canopy and hearing a loud bang. An mis-ejection perhaps? Too early to tell.
(EDIT) The RAF has confirmed a zero zero ejection. Perhaps a chute failure?
Irregardless, RIP to a fine pilot.
Osmium Steele
11-08-11, 01:32 PM
I thought the Hawk was designed to eject through the canopy, since it was used in a low altitude role. Still kinda rough on a pilot.
I thought the Hawk was designed to eject through the canopy, since it was used in a low altitude role. Still kinda rough on a pilot.
I think the Hawk has a zero zero system. The canopy also has an explosive egress system.
Yes, just checked, the Hawk is fitted with the Mark 10 Martin Baker seat which I do believe is zero zero, so either something went wrong with the seat or it happened in an enclosed area and the pilot hit the ceiling. Either way a tragic incident.
Judging by this pic from the Daily Fail the aircraft was outside when the ejection occurred so that rules out collision with ceiling.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/08/article-2059004-0EB83C5300000578-568_634x361.jpg
Latest rumours at pprune are either a parachute fail or canopy explosives fail. I'd tend to lean towards the former.
I also found this poem on pprune in their thread, thought it apt:
One More Roll
We toast our hearty Comrades who have
Fallen from the skies, and were gently
Caught by God’s own hands to be with
Him on high
To dwell away the soaring clouds they’ve
Known so well before, from victory roll
To tail chase at heaven’s door
And as we fly among them there, we’re
Sure to hear their plea, “Take care
My friend, watch your six, and do one
More roll for me”
Schroeder
11-08-11, 02:57 PM
Definitely not a good year for the Red Arrows.:-?
Jimbuna
11-08-11, 03:19 PM
Quite probably a parachute failure....tragic :nope:
Herr-Berbunch
11-08-11, 04:48 PM
I don't know - squippers are meticulous in their work as lives really do depend on them, whereas the miniture detonation chord in the canopy can't be tested! My early money is on MDC failure.
Nice poem.
Tchocky
11-08-11, 05:09 PM
This is a real tragedy :(
RIP
gimpy117
11-08-11, 05:16 PM
why did he eject in the first place?
why did he eject in the first place?
No reason I could see of that he would do it deliberately, and he probably wasn't exactly new to the cockpit of a jet aircraft so it's unlikely that he'd have pulled the lever by mistake. However, like Herr B says, the maintenance of the ejection seats is usually first rate, so chances are it could be a one in a million malfunction.
danny60
11-09-11, 07:04 AM
The red arrows have now been grounded pending a full investigation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15655865
Jimbuna
11-09-11, 07:11 AM
No reason I could see of that he would do it deliberately, and he probably wasn't exactly new to the cockpit of a jet aircraft so it's unlikely that he'd have pulled the lever by mistake. However, like Herr B says, the maintenance of the ejection seats is usually first rate, so chances are it could be a one in a million malfunction.
The investigation will be thorough, I'm sure of that.
I'm also sure the ejector seat in use Martin Baker Mk.10 is a well tried and tested piece of kit.
Looking forward to investigations findings.
Ejection System details below:
http://www.martin-baker.com/products/Ejection-Seats/Mk--10.aspx
Fully agree Jim, it's very unusual for a Martin Baker Mk 10 to malfunction like that...
The pilot has been named as Flt Lt Sean Cunningham, Red Five.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/behindthescenes/red5.cfm
RIP good sir, and thank you.
Jimbuna
11-09-11, 08:02 AM
I never knew Red 9 was a woman.
Herr-Berbunch
11-09-11, 08:09 AM
I never knew Red 9 was a woman.
Yeah, when they had a small 'crash' in Crete, I think, last year practicing just after she'd joined all the women driver jokes came out - I don't even think she was involved!
Jimbuna
11-09-11, 08:34 AM
Yeah, when they had a small 'crash' in Crete, I think, last year practicing just after she'd joined all the women driver jokes came out - I don't even think she was involved!
Unavoidable I suppose :DL
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