During the late afternoon of 14 September 1944, two Liberators of 206 Squadron transited from Tain to Leuchars. The weather was not very good at Leuchars – a light E’ly drift with extensive low cloud, base 200 ft, and a visibility of about 2000 yards in mist, but inland the low cloud covered all hills to the west. The first aircraft elected to land from the east and eventually touched down on the third attempt.
The second aircraft made its approach from the west and at about 7 pm crashed at Balmullo Quarry on the south side of Lucklaw Hill. I estimate the impact point was about 450 ft asl just north of the centre line of runway 09, and about 1.75 miles west of the runway threshold.
Can anyone tell me if 450 ft would have been an acceptable altitude 1.75 – 2 miles west of runway 09, or should the aircraft have been higher? Lucklaw Hill rises to over 600 ft.
By: Lyffe - 23rd September 2012 at 10:16
About four years ago I managed to trace and talk to the 2nd pilot and navigator of the Liberator that landed safely. Given the long passage of time since the accident it’s not surprising their stories differed slightly, but both were consistent in describing their landing as very frightening – so much so the navigator had even made a comment to that effect in his logbook.
The reason the two crews decided to try and get in was that one of the crewmembers of the aircraft that didn’t make it was to marry two days later.
By: Moggy C - 23rd September 2012 at 09:36
Show off!
I used this
http://www.carbidedepot.com/formulas-trigright.asp
Moggy
By: Al - 23rd September 2012 at 07:36
In the calculation height=distance X tan 3 degrees
=1.75 X 0.0524
=0.0917 miles
=484.176 feet
By: Moggy C - 22nd September 2012 at 23:40
Cloudbase of 200ft with 2,000 yards viz in the vicinity of 600ft high ground is merely a CFIT waiting to happen. Even with modern instrumentation and aids.
For anyone with any sense of self preservation that calls for a diversion.
But then in wartime a combat pilot’s frame of reference must be very different. He lives with the shadow of death on every mission. What’s a bit of fog?
Moggy
By: Lyffe - 22nd September 2012 at 23:31
In answer to your question, Moggy, – lousy!
Many thanks, but as that is below the highest ground just off the centre-line it makes me wonder if there were special procedures in force for Leuchars at the time. Slightly further out the ground rises to over 550 ft just south of the centre-line, amd likewise on the centre-line at about 3.5 miles.
It’s just curiosity on my part as the F1180 lays the blame on both the pilot for making the attempt in the adverse conditions, and the Squadron commander for permitting the flight in the first place.
By: Moggy C - 22nd September 2012 at 22:05
How’s your geometry, trigonometry?
The commercial glideslope is 3 degrees generally. So if you construct a triangle with the base 1.75 miles long included between a right angle and a 3 degree angle then the height of the vertical rising from the right angle will give you an acceptable height at that range.
I could do it given time and my old school books, but it’s late and I am tired
But, of course this ignores the modern concept of MSA (Minimum Safe Altitude)
Moggy
Edit. Found a calculator. It gives just under 500 ft as the 3 degree glideslope out at 1.75 miles.
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September 22, 2012 at 9:39 pm