Unfortunately the navigator was likely to break both legs below the knee in such a situation when his legs smashed into the AI console. One died in his burning aircraft as a result (the pilot got out but was unable to free him).
Peter
I guess you refer to the incident at Stradishall. I considered myself lucky to be flying in the Meteor NFs. We were at Stradishall when this incident occurred.
The NF Venom had a bad reputation for accidents, the Coltishall sqdn lost two COs in them, one being a well known WWII NF ace, in addition to several other accidents.
Elsewhere I have unkindly referred to the Vampire NF 10 as a real lash up. DeHavilland were keen to get in on the act to replace the Mosquito. Some bright spark remembered that the fuselage construction of both aircraft was the same. He sent out the apprentices to round up all the model aircraft cement they could find. Then dragged a redundant Mossie 36 out of Leavesden, sawed off the nose immediately aft of the cockpit, did the same to a Vampire day fighter, and glued the resultant hybrid together! 😮 :D:D
That said I remember when we gave up the Mosquito for the Meteor we very much missed the side by side seating arrangement
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