21/01/1999 |
ZA330 |
B-08 |
Tornado
GR1 |
TTTE |
The
Tornado collided with the Cessna from behind at 500 ft near Everton,
Lincolnshire. The Cessna had two occupants on board and was photographing
properties in the area. The Tornado was outbound from Cottesmore with an
Italian pilot and an RAF instructor on board. All four occupants were
killed when the aircraft collided although one seat was ejected from the
Tornado but this was as a result of the collision and was not initiated by
the crew. This was the last conversion course before the closure of the
Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment |
21/01/1999 |
G-BPZX |
|
Cessna
152 II |
Private |
29/01/1999 |
ZG856 |
88 |
Harrier
GR7 |
3
Sqn |
Struck
the ground belly first while under power during a five aircraft formation
in a mountain range area on the Nellis Range, Nevada, USA during a Red
Flag exercise. The pilot ejected 3-4 seconds before the aircraft impacted
the ground and received serious injuries. The aircraft disintegrated and
the wreckage was spread over a wide area |
04/02/1999 |
ZD326 |
07 |
Harrier
GR7 |
3
Sqn |
The
aircraft was returning to Laarbruch, Germany following a test flight when
it disappeared from radar as the pilot was changing radio frequency from
Dusseldorf to Laarbruch approach. He ejected before the aircraft impacted
the ground at Wamb near Sonsbeck |
05/03/1999 |
XX666 |
08 |
Bulldog
T1 |
12
AEF |
The
pilot was practising engine
failures after
take off from Leuchars, Fife. The
aircraft turned first to the left and then to the right and then
began to decent rapidly. It then struck the grass heavily on the north
side of the airfield causing the undercarriage to collapse. Both crew were
able to escape from the aircraft unaided and were taken to Dundee
hospital. With the impending replacement of the Bulldog it was not
repaired and was sent to Newton for store. It was eventually sold to a
businessman in Florida for spares for his Bulldog fleet. The pilot was
also involved in the incident involving XX665 on 20/03/1997 |
18/05/1999 |
XZ199 |
|
Lynx
AH7 |
656
Sqn |
Crashed
near to a farm at Tilton on the Hill approximately nine miles east of
Leicester just north of the A47 after the cockpit had filled with smoke.
This had prevented the crew from seeing the ground and during the
subsequent emergency landing the pilot flared the aircraft too early. It
struck the ground, bounced, caught fire and burnt out when it struck the
ground for a second time. Though seriously injured the pilot managed to
crawl from the aircraft. Tragically the three other crew were killed. The
pilot was flown to Leicester hospital by police helicopter. Investigation
showed that the engine had failed after a bearing failure. This caused a
bolt to be thrown into atomised hydraulic fluid which had collected under
the main gearbox from an unrelated leak. Two explosions occurred followed
by a fire. The crew had received two low pressure warnings on the gauge
but as pressure returned to normal this was attributed to a faulty gauge |
06/1999 |
XX454 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
Ex
3 Regt |
During
operations in Bosnia in 1997 the aircraft suffered severe vibration
problems. These could not be cured on base and the aircraft was eventually
moved to Westlands at Weston-super-Mare for rectification. With surplus
Gazelles within the Army Air Corps it was deemed to be too costly to
rectify the problem. It was therefore withdrawn from use and was
transferred to Middle Wallop for disposal. The date quoted is the
approximate date when the aircraft was withdrawn from use |
12/06/1999 |
ZG875 |
|
Sea
King HAS6 |
820
NAS |
Landed
for refuelling on the Spanish Navy frigate ‘Reina Sofia’ during
exercise ‘JMC 99/2’. With the engines still running the ship altered
course. The Sea Kings heading correction system detected the change and
while tethered to the deck the aircraft attempted to turn. This caused
severe twisting and buckling of the airframe particularly along the tail
section. The four crew escaped unhurt and the ship put into Faslane to
offload the aircraft. It was transported by road the Flight Safety and
Accident Investigation Unit at Yeovilton arriving there on 17th June.
Damage was initially assessed as CAT 4 but with the
surplus of Sea Kings in the Navy due to the delivery of Merlins it
was deemed to be damaged beyond economical repair and was delivered to the
Navy training school at HMS Sultan, Gosport during November 2000 as A2629 |
06/06/1999 |
ZJ201 |
|
Hawk
200RDA |
BAe
Warton |
The
aircraft was displaying at Bratislava as part of the Slovakian
International Air show and as part of a British Aerospace Hawk 200
promotion tour. The test pilot entered a barrel roll too low the roll was
too tight and the exit speed was too fast and at the wrong angle. It
suffered a high speed stall, struck the ground and bounced clipping a
building, killing a woman spectator. It bounced again and finally struck
the ground and was destroyed. The pilot did not eject and was also killed |
11/06/1999 |
XV298 |
|
Hercules
C1 |
LTW |
Crashed
during a night take off from Kukes, Albania with about 20 SAS men on
board. The load of Land Rovers, motorcycles, grenades and ammunition was
too heavy. and began to shift also due to the short runway the momentum
achieved on take-off was not great enough. The pilot quickly realised he
was in danger of stalling and made an instant decision to try and land the
plane. He managed to put the C-130 back on the ground but it broke it’s
back in the process. Minutes later, the Land Rovers, packed with
ammunition and fuel, exploded staring a fire. This engulfed the aircraft
and all that remained was the tail. Remarkably, everyone escaped with
their lives, although an SAS soldier suffered major burns. The aircraft had
been on a NATO special forces mission in Kosovo following the end of Serb
hostilities against the ethnic Albanians |
30/06/1999 |
ZG994 |
|
Islander
AL1 |
1
Flt |
Crashed
near the junction of the A30 and the A343 at Lopcombe Corner, a few miles
west of the airfield at Middle Wallop, Hampshire after the pilot had lost
control of the aircraft during a simulated engine failure after take off.
The two crew escaped without serious injury. The port wing was ripped off
in the accident when it struck a tree which also twisted the fuselage. The
airframe was transferred from Middle Wallop to Pilatus Britten Norman at
Bembridge on the Isle of Wight during October for spares recovery |
09/07/1999 |
ZD345 |
12 |
Harrier
GR7 |
4
Sqn |
The
Harrier was one of a pair when it apparently suffered engine failure. The
pilot of the other Harrier, who was the Group Captain at Cottesmore,
talked the pilot down and directed the stricken aircraft towards open
farmland. The pilot then ejected and the aircraft crashed near to the A16
at Surfleet north of Spalding, Lincolnshire. The pilot was taken to
hospital in Nottingham but is not thought to be seriously injured |
14/07/1999 |
ZG532 |
86 |
Harrier
GR7 |
3
Sqn |
Crashed
at Cornhill-on-Tweed just across the river from Coldstream,
Northumberland. The pilot ejected after loss of control during air combat
manoeuvres and was seen by his wingman walking through a field. He was
later airlifted to the Borders General Hospital in Galashields |
01/08/1999 |
XR674 |
G-TOMG
'XW428' |
Jet
Provost T4 |
Private |
Crashed
at Woolaston, Gloucestershire killing both crew members. The aircraft was
operating out of Staverton and was giving pleasure flights to local pilots |
11/09/1999 |
ZA767 |
|
Gazelle
AH1 |
25
Flt |
Force
landed into the jungle in Belize. Fortunately the pilot managed to put the
aircraft down in some reed beds which greatly softened the impact and the
four occupants escaped safely. Returned by ship to the UK and went to
Middle Wallop for crash investigation. Later sold to a private collector
at Sproughton, Suffolk |
14/10/1999 |
ZD809 |
BA |
Tornado
GR1 |
14
Sqn
(15 Sqn loan) |
Crashed
between Ingoe and Kirkheaton, Cumbria killing both crew. The aircraft was
totally destroyed and wreckage was spread over three fields |
16/10/1999 |
XT630 |
G-BXRL |
Scout
AH1 |
Private |
Suffered
engine failure
and ditched
into a water filled quarry at Tarmac Quarry, Hearts Hill,
Mancetter, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. It became inverted but
the three occupants were able to swim to safety before the aircraft sank.
It remained submerged for about a month before being recovered. To
Thruxton for spares |
20/10/1999 |
XZ381 |
D |
Jaguar
GR3 |
16(R)
Sqn |
Ditched
into the Moray Firth six miles north of Lossiemouth, Grampian after the
pilot, who was the station commander at Lossiemouth, was forced to eject
while attempting to recover the aircraft back to base after it had
suffered hydraulic failure resulting in being unable to lower the
undercarriage. Another Jaguar was shepherding the aircraft but the pilot
elected to eject rather than risk crashing in a populated area after
control difficulties were also experienced.
It sank in 200ft of water but a salvage operation was begun to
recover the aircraft. The pilot was in the water for 15 minutes before
being rescued by a 202 Sqn Sea King HAR3 and was taken to Nottingham
hospital although he was not seriously inured |
22/10/1999 |
XX193 |
CB |
Hawk
T1A |
100
Sqn |
Clipped
a railway bridge and smashed into a barn next to an empty holiday home
north of Shap between Penrith and Kendal, Cumbria killing the two crew. A
motorist, who was crossing the bridge at the time, suffered cuts, bruises
and burns when his van was struck by debris. The West Coast railway line
and the adjacent A6 road were both closed while debris was recovered |
17/11/1999 |
ZE830 |
|
Tornado
F3 |
F3OEU |
The
left hand engine began to break up and exploded. This damaged the right
hand engine therefore both crew ejected The aircraft crashed into the
North Sea approximately 20 miles east of St. Abbs Head, Borders. The crew
landed on dry land and were picked up by a 202 Squadron Sea King from
Boulmer |