RE: Message for Mr. Russ Snadden
I remember the day only too well – for some reason I had wandered down to the M11 end of the crowdline, on the way back to the car (it was parked behind the Superhangar in the days when traffic control didn’t direct southbound traffic onto the Officers Mess parking areas) and was stood watching the last flight of Black 6 with a feeling of real anger and disappointment. Anger at the fact that the MOD was grounding a unique aircraft which had been rescued by the sheer stubborness and graft of Russ and the Black 6 team, and disappointment that it’s superb engine growl would never be heard again.
I watched as Black 6 took off, on what was a very windy day and I think about on the limits of anything flying that day. I also watched in a heightening state of concern as an unusual puff of smoke was spotted coming from the exhausts followed by a short and fast recovery onto the remaining runway. It was obvious something was wrong and the pilot was flying by the seat of his flightsuit and his speed was way too high to stop in the runway length left to him. The feeling of horror was all around me as I’m sure everyone thought “Oh sh*t, the M11……..”
In what I still consider to be an piece of great flying he lifted off again and hopped the M11, only to come to grief in the fresh furrows of that field.
A feeling of relief that perhaps it’s not that bad was crushed as news came that the aircraft was upside down with the pilot trapped. It later emerged he refused to be cut out to save anymore damage to the aircraft.
I’ve read the accident report and with hindsight perhaps things should have been done differently, but accidents happen and but for the pilots decisionmaking, Black 6 may have been spread all over four lanes of the M11.
Black 6 was going to be grounded after that flight. That was the only bad decision in my books. It is a unique aircraft, and should be flown and cared for.
Theories about deliberately damaging the aircraft are X-File fodder.
Hopefully, one day soon, the sound of a DB605 will echo around Duxford again.
I think a lesson from this is that the field on the otherside of the M11 needs to be reserved for any further emergencies such as this. If it has already been so designated, then well done.
The M11 should never have been allowed to disect the runway like it did. For the sake of a few hundred yards of motorway it could easily have skirted the end of the original airfield. But then Duxford wasn’t what it is today. Europe’s No.1 flying museum.
Bob
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