The AB910 crash in the 70's

Photo showing positioning of Harrier.

I had forgotten about the Safir. The runway had been closed but the guy taxied out, much waving of arms by the police, waffled into the air, stalled and bit the dust.

Full accident description including photos and the official enquiry here:
http://www.hdekker.info/Nieuwe%20map/1978.htm#21.08.1978

The Harvard pilot indeed broke his leg in his hasty departure from the remains of his aircraft.

Incidently, I note that as a direct result of this collision another serious accident occurred when a short time later a Saab Safir attampted a take off from the remaining free stretch of runway due to a communication/translation error, and failed to get airborne. Story on the same link as above.

The Harvard in question was PH-KMA, which was returned to The Netherlands by trailer and stored at the owner’s home until 1991, when it was sold to Austria for restoration (by the Oesterreichisches Luftfahtmuseum in Graz). As far as I know the restoration has not yet been completed, and news of the current condition of it is scarce. If anybody knows more I would love to know.

The wrecked Safir was also trucked back to The Netherlands and stored with the Harvard until the 1990s and is undergoing a very slow restoration now using major sections of PH-UEA.

Mark 12:
Yes we got it wrong, but there is a bit more to this than meets the eye.
I would be interested in a basic translation of what was said.

See my translation of salient bits via email

Although I was not there for the accident to AB910 (I was there the previous day though), I remember it well, and still have a newspaper report, with photo.
Bex still is a bit short and narrow. It is tricky enough to count for “mountain” landings – at least it was when I did my Swiss PPL. You can get some idea from their webcam:
http://www.gvmc.ch/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=47

The last view shows the runway in use the day of the crash, and you can see how narrow the taxiway is.

You kept good company Pete. Looking forward to reading the diary (I’m in the Middle East at the mo where internet connection is dire).

Kurt

Interesting read Peter, how we’ll travelled you are. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter of the story……..

It’s a one day job, one day I’ll get round to it. Plane Sailing Catalina back from South Africa, multi trips to Russia looking for warbirds, vodka drinking with Russians, supporting I-SPIT in Italy, Spifire in South Africa, near mid air taking Spit & Hurricane to Czech, Gathering of Mustangs, Reno, loss of friends, La Ferte, etc etc also need to fill the gaps in Part 1, escapees from Vietnam, scams & rip offs, meeting wartime pilots from both sides, flying with “Jacko” in the Lanc., restoration of I-SPIT with Paul Mercer in Italy, and on and on.

Been interesting but don’t want to bore anybody, did it for the family really.

Founder and first chairman of the Guinea Pig Club, Alan Geoffrey Page DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar. Founder of the Battle of Britain Trust.

The shifty guy is the only one who has not fallen off the perch, he doesn’t appear in Wikipedia but you can read about him, pre The Fighter Collection at;

http://www.rushenhistory.com/brat/Brat.htm

Interesting read Peter, how we’ll travelled you are. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter of the story……..

Great photo – what illustrious company to be in!

Who is the pilot in the centre of the picture?

The guy at the bottom right looks a bit shifty. Whatever happened to him?

Founder and first chairman of the Guinea Pig Club, Alan Geoffrey Page DSO, OBE, DFC & Bar. Founder of the Battle of Britain Trust.

The shifty guy is the only one who has not fallen off the perch, he doesn’t appear in Wikipedia but you can read about him, pre The Fighter Collection at;

http://www.rushenhistory.com/brat/Brat.htm

Who is the pilot in the centre of the picture?

The guy at the bottom right looks a bit shifty. Whatever happened to him?

I was there and worked with the Swiss police & British Air Attache. Also provided a whole series of photographs and detailed measurements of the incident site to the RAF Board of Enquiry.
Ground control was provided by a mobile worker with a radio and flags. Spitfire was cleared for takeoff, taxied to holding/take off point and carried out pre take off power checks lined up in direction of take off.
Harvard was given permission to taxy from aircraft parking area to take off point. The parking area was two thirds of the way down the air strip.
After start of Spitfire two BBMF ground crew made their way to Devon, who’s engines were running in the parking area. The intention being for the Devon to formate with the Spitfire after take of and mini display.
Nobody took into account the overnight Harrier which had been parked by the hangar where the Spifire had stayed overnight.
To pass by the Harrier the Harvard infringed the runway. The rest is history.
Bex is/was a very narrow grass strip.
Will see if I can find the negs. of the shots I took. Mark 12 has already published one.

You might know some of these guys who adorned the aircraft in the aforesaid hangar.

Interesting to note that the entry in Spitfire Survivors for AB910 indicated that the Harvard swung on take off and collided with the Spitfire.

Yes we got it wrong, but there is a bit more to this than meets the eye.

I would be interested in a basic translation of what was said.

There is a fuller version of this airshow DVD leading up to the incident that shows the parked aircraft, the taxiing/stopped Harvard, the runway centre line etc

It is a very narrow strip airport.

http://www.ourairports.com/airports/LSGB/#lat=46.25643286415338,lon=6.986778974533081,zoom=17,type=Satellite,airport=LSGB

Mark

Definitely an Ouch!! moment.

And I now know what the infamous Legends commentator Bernard Chabbert looks like!!

Interesting to note that the entry in Spitfire Survivors for AB910 indicated that the Harvard swung on take off and collided with the Spitfire.

I know – but the caption in the book always puzzled me!! (Whichever book it was!)

Strengthening plates

Strengthening plates wouldn’t have made an iota’s difference to the outcome of this prang, DDM.

Anon.

Bloody hell! 😮

I’m amazed that, apart from the broken leg, the injuries were not more serious.

(As an aside, one of the Spitfire books mentions strengthening plates fitted to the wing following the incident – yet they were fitted well prior to that!!)

Ouch!

That was nasty. I’m very surprised that the outcome wasn’t worse than it was.

I dread to think what the result would have been with a metal-propped Spitfire – it was clocking along a bit.

Was the Harvard written off or was it repaired? You can see the pilot “bailing out” rapidly, almost straight away. It was probably him landing in a heap that did for his leg:(

Very interesting footage, nevertheless.

Anon.

The Harvard was taxying to the take off point but had to swing out to pass by the Harrier which had been parked at the side of the grass strip overnight. The Harvard pilot broke his leg getting out of the aircraft.
After the accident all BBMF pilots had to be based at Coningsby, Pete Thorn was from Cranwell. In addition pre-takeoff power runs were to carried out at 90 degrees to the take off run so that the pilot could ensure the strip was clear of aircraft.
Interesting to see the video after all these years, I was sat in the escort Devon awaiting take off to return to Coningsby.