Harrier Pilot Does The Martin Baker Fly By

[GoldenRivet]

Oddly enough I thought the opposite- that his approach was too slow.

I think the accident caught him off guard, as if he knew it was going to be a really hard landing, but didn't expect it to result in substantial damage.

From a pilots perspective, I would have made the choice to ride a gear collapse - which in this case he probably assumed was the problem - all the way to the stopping point as opposed to riding an ejection seat out.

The event that changed his mind and caused him to pull the loud handle was no doubt the 8-10 foot tall flames licking the canopy glass.

Then the situation switches gears and you have to choose between exiting a burning wreck or just punching out and letting the fire fighters worry about it.

His problems started on final approach... His jet looked like it was on the ass end of the power curve which is not a good place to be on approach to landing. To top it off this looked like a traditional approach to landing as opposed to a VTOL with which I'm sure he was more accustomed.

[HunterICX]

Here's the story:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6301835.ece

He had a engine failure and had to do a emergency landing.
reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

also carrying external fuel tanks and live laser guided bombs....pfew

HunterICX

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by HunterICX

Here's the story:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6301835.ece

He had a engine failure and had to do a emergency landing.
reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

also carrying external fuel tanks and live laser guided bombs....pfew

HunterICX

All the more reason to get out pronto!

[ajrimmer42]

Originally Posted by HunterICX

reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

That's what I was thinking, plus I guess it's always preferable to walk away from something like that than to eject, I believe ejecting hurts like buggery, spinal compression and all that...

[GoldenRivet]

"suffered a back injury in the accident"

Jesus... probably upon the touchdown, which means he punched out with an injured back.

if not upon touchdown, then i suppose they are referring to the spinal compression.

[AVGWarhawk]

WOW...he wanted to ride it out or he was just in utter shock the aircraft was falling to pieces around him.

[Oberon]

Nicely done that man, very professional and heroic. Harrier doesn't look like it'll be a total write-off either.
At least the Harrier engines are more reliable now than they were to begin with. I recall one pilot who suffered an engine cut out whilst flying over West Germany, he began to lose altitude quite dramatically and so banged out...and as he floated down suddenly the Harriers engine starts up, roars into life and the Harrier sets off towards the GDR by itself.
Panic sets in, and Luftwaffe F-104s take off but just can't get it, eventually a BAe Lightning shot it down near the GDR border.

Good book :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-War-Hot.../dp/1844155757

[Schroeder]

@Oberon

I'm pretty sure that thing IS a 100% write off.
The airframe is definitely unusable and I'm pretty sure the electronics, engine, and cockpit instruments didn't like the crash, the fire and the water (or whatever stuff they used to extinguish the flames) all too much either.

@Warhawk

I'm with GR on that one, he didn't eject until the flames reached the canopy. I'm sure he didn't want to get fried or blown to pieces.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

I'm with GR on that one, he didn't eject until the flames reached the canopy. I'm sure he didn't want to get fried or blown to pieces.

Yes, this what I think too. He ejects just second or so after we see the body of flames reach the side of the canopy.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Nicely done that man, very professional and heroic.

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

Well, he had an engine failure after all.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

that and the news article indicated that he stayed with it so that he could somewhat steer it away from populated areas and other civilian aircraft.

yeah

crashing = unprofessional

crashing so as to avoid hurting anyone but yourself = heroic AND professional

well done RAF

Always thought this was a pretty scary vid, bird strikes an F-16.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

On final approach you are in a nose up position and pretty close to stall speed. If your engine quits now you will not only lose speed quickly (due to the nose up attitude) but you will also be in the nasty situation of not having any altitude left that you could trade for speed which you need for a controlled flight. The pilot was all out of options here.

[Bubblehead Nuke]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

On final approach you are in a nose up position and pretty close to stall speed. If your engine quits now you will not only lose speed quickly (due to the nose up attitude) but you will also be in the nasty situation of not having any altitude left that you could trade for speed which you need for a controlled flight. The pilot was all out of options here.

Exactly....

Landing is one of the most stressful time. As you said, you are up against the wall. You are at or near minimum control airspeed and no space to trade altitude for speed. Been there, done that. Got the tee shirt and the soiled shorts to prove it. Piper 140 on final with a loss of engine. Full flaps and downwind. It was NOT fun. I got lucky, I planted the main wheels about 3 feet short of the runway and bounced over the lip to the runway. Good thing the weather was dry and the ground was not spongy.

Back to the Harrier: I can guarantee you that this guy KNEW he was going to stuff the plane into the ground. He could have bailed at ANY time after the engine failure with a reasonable chance of survival. The fact that he rode it into the ground says volumes about his professionalism.

I have WATCHED U.S. Military planes go in. I have watched them go all the way in because the pilot wanted to insure that his plane was going into that space BETWEEN the houses and not into the house. My father was a Naval Aviator. I asked him in the past what he would do in such an emergency. He told me that he would ride it in to make sure nobody was hurt if there was the SLIGHTEST chance of it coming down in population.