BBC Ceefax report Yak crash Southend Pilot OK

Good Man.
Good Effort.
I’m glad you’re in one piece(almost).

We all kinda guessed who it must be.
Take it easy and rest.
Cheers
Andy

Sitrep

Hi guys, thanks for all your concern.

I got out of hospital today. Injuries not ‘life threatening’, but, according to the medics, I was very lucky – cut chin from helmet chinstrap (I don’t think I hit my helmet on anything), lower back pain. fractured sternum and a punctured right lung which collapsed and I had to have a chest cavity drain fitted (a throroughly ‘Napoleonic’ procedure of brute force and pain!). The lung problem wasn’t spotted until the early hours of Thursday morning, so I was getting quite breathless.

Thanks to the local farmer and his mates who hauled me out – he has been very helpful. The paramedics also did a great job. I was fimly strapped down and had a neck collar and wedges to stop any spinal damage – but I was lucky in that respect.

I had the engine failure outbound at about 2500 over Osea Island. A few odd sounds, smells smoke and vibrations. Called Southend, told them I had a rough running engine and was attempting to return but wasn’t sure I would make it.

The engine didn’t cut completely, but kept surging and dying away again. Oil T&Ps all in the green. Tried all the usual drills plus use of primer, but couldn’t maintain height. Got it back over the Crouch, and decided I wouldn’t make it to the field, so told S/end I was force landing. A number of buildings cut down my options, but managed to put it in a paddock. Not brilliant, but I’m still here – you don’t get to go around!!!

The a/c was vandalised with a fence post, but group members removed the instruments to prevent further damage. The AAIB didn’t want to inspect and the a/c was removed to L/Gransden today. So hopefully we should have some more news soon. One clue may be a split in the upper cowling where something has parted company with the engine, but don’t yet know what.

The pic shows how the cockpit floor is split, the seat was also, so presumably my parachute pack took some of the impact. The whole way down I was quite confident I was going to make it, and I’m still disappointed I didn’t ‘do better’, but I think that is an inevitable reaction, and the aeroplane can be replaced. Thankfully no one else was hurt, though I gather I did upset a horse!

YR

Moggy – I love you pointing out the various versions of ‘airborne’ that various people use – however is your ‘knicked’ in your post above a variation on the traditional ‘nicked’ word ?

Think I must have had my mind on ‘knickers’

Not unusual
😉 😉 :p :p

Moggy

It is very unlikely there will be an AAIB investigation, no one died so the report will be from the pilot, and unlikely to go any further.

The state the Yak is in £10K would probably be optimistic

Mmitch – If the aircraft is in a field and the gate is closed the person is trespassing . If the vandals were injured it would for them to prove that they had good reason to be there in the first place. Add to that tampering
with an aircraft which might be used for an AAIB investigation also wouldn’t do them any favours.
Sadly I don’t think the police have the resources to guard an aircraft in a field overnight. I guess a crashed Yak is worth 10K at the most – most farm machinery is worth more than that! Sad world but there are plenty of scum bags around waiting to spoil your day!

Moggy – I love you pointing out the various versions of ‘airborne’ that various people use – however is your ‘knicked’ in your post above a variation on the traditional ‘nicked’ word ?

From the photographs the aircraft is a write-off. Not helped by the fact parts have been stolen and will need replacing.

Picture from one of the folks websites on Flyer forum, some scroat has removed some instuments and left his muddy trainer prints everywhere.
Glad the crew are ok and hope they make a full recovery.
Phil.

If the Plane has structural damage,fuel leaks,hydraulic or any high pressure systems does someone qualified on that type of plane have to inspect it before it is left.
I would assume until this is done then the police are obliged to keep the general public safe.

Interesting that the police didn’t bother to guard the wreck overnight. If one or more of the vandals had be injured, who would have got the blame?
mmitch.

Most information seems to be here
http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10933
and here
http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10960

Sorry to bump this one back up, but does anyone have any update on his condition? I’m getting more and more concerned that it may be ‘one of ours’… 🙁

first I’ve heard of this. I too have fingers crossed its not who we know from this forum.

Neal

It was on the local news last night and they showed the plane in a field,and they STILL said it was a WW2 plane,talk about getting the facts right

Apparently a fair amount of kit has been knicked from the wreckage overnight 😡

Moggy

The BBC reported the pilot having serious back injuries.They also, as trumper says, reported that G-YAMS was a WW2 a/c, not bad considering it was built in 1984!

Best wishes to the pilot, hope he makes a full recovery.

Its typical reporting really, They love to blame any crash on some old World war 2 aircraft that should not be flying in there view trouble is the uneducated reader will think it was really a ww2 aircraft.

Hope the pilot makes a good recovery i am glad he lives to tell the tale and wish him well.

The BBC reported the pilot having serious back injuries.They also, as trumper says, reported that G-YAMS was a WW2 a/c, not bad considering it was built in 1984!

Best wishes to the pilot, hope he makes a full recovery.

I think the BBC have changed the headline,the original one i read [on the ceefax] stated it was a ww2 fighter,it was that part that caught my eye originally,lets all hope that everything turns out well and both pilot and plane are back up where they belong.

It was LY-AMS (Yak 52)

Moggy

Hmm, report doesn’t specify which type of Yak. My thoughts are turning towards a particular forum member who I know flies a Yak 52 out of Southend… Hope it’s not him, but whoever it is I’m glad to hear the injuries aren’t life threatening. As Seafuryfan says, well done for getting it down and being able to tell the tale afterwards. Fingers crossed for you.