I’m a little interested in this from here…
17 May 1950 A Royal Air Force Shorts Sunderland was forced to land at Lod airport in Israel after being intercepted by Spitfires of the 105 Squadron of the Israel Air Force over Ramat David air base. The RAF crew had been issued maps that didn’t show Israel and were unaware that they were flying over a sovereign state, as Great Britain had yet to recognize the state of Israel.
Forced to land???
Any pix?
Flood
By: GASML - 28th November 2005 at 18:17
Here’s that pic. again. No further comment from me required!!
By: HauntedSea - 27th November 2005 at 15:28
I’m a little interested in this from here…
Forced to land???
It didn’t land in Lod, it landed in the Mediterranean off Tel Aviv. Ezer Weizmann, in his memoirs, mentions taking a boat to meet the crew of the Sunderland.
By: Dave Homewood - 27th November 2005 at 11:10
I know the nav who was on that Suderland that touched down at Rongotai. It was very touch and go for them. He said they seriously considered jumping and having the captain attempt a landing at Ohakea, which is a land base, due to the huge hole in the bottom. But Ray managed to get it patched up in the end and they made it back to Hobsonville and did an emergency landing. He was hanging upside down for most of the trip, hammering, taping and wedging whatever they could find to bung the gap.
By: Newforest - 27th November 2005 at 09:48
Oh I know it was done occasionally – think there was a photo of a land-landing (or maybe a low flight along a runway that accidentally turned into a landing…) on the forum a while back (or a reference to one). Just hadn’t heard of forced landing like this, or similar, occuring to a Sunderland.
Flood
#85 15th July 2005, 00:55
Macfire
Rank 3 Registered User Join Date: May 2005
Location: Waitakere Village, New Zealand
Posts: 102
The re-opening of Wellington Airport in 1959 saw a 5 Sqn Sunderland (NZ4113?) scrape its keel on the runway.
A different way to touch and go!
The photo in a series call “How low can you go” showed debris falling from the keel while the aircraft was about 5 feet above the runway.
Happened right in front of me.
A great opening as it also had the Vulcan incident mentioned in Jets on grass thread.
Here is the link you were thinking of! 😀
By: Flood - 26th November 2005 at 22:21
Oh I know it was done occasionally – think there was a photo of a land-landing (or maybe a low flight along a runway that accidentally turned into a landing…) on the forum a while back (or a reference to one). Just hadn’t heard of forced landing like this, or similar, occuring to a Sunderland.
Flood
By: Ross_McNeill - 26th November 2005 at 18:51
Hi Flood,
Nothing noted as a Cat E Sunderland for that date in the 1180s.
However Sunderlands had been landed on aerodromes twice before.
29/05/43
T9114
After landing to rescue survivors of O/461 the Sunderland was taken in tow by destroyer L19. When the tow rope broke at 17:25 hrs the engines were started and during the rough sea take off it struck a large wave which made a 7 foot by 4 foot hole in the hull. F/O Singleton crash landed on Angle airfield at 20:40 hrs. Although minimal damage was caused during landing the Sunderland was considered damaged beyond repair and became 4446M.
25/05/45
NJ186
Hit ground descending in cloud and damaged hull at 07:55 hrs. At 09:15 hrs the Sunderland was crashlanded and caught fire on Jurby aerodrome.
Regards
Ross
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November 26, 2005 at 5:13 pm