First accident in 15 years of operations is a very impressive safety record, and typical of the professionalism of the RAAF.
It may be the first accident in 15 years but it is the team’s second. A news report just showed the previous accident when they flew the Aermacchi MB326, filmed from the cockpit of another in the formation. Very nasty collision but both pilots survived then too. I think from memory they ejected??
Also the report showed yesterdays accident. It was an RAAF video taken from the ground. A wierd manouvre – five aircraft in vic formation upside down at the top of a loop, and the sixth – the one that crashed, comes hurtling up from behind rolling all the way into the formation. It (not surprisingly) touched wingtips with the outside aircraft on the left of the loop.
Do they usually roll an aircraft (solo performer??) into a looping formation in their routine? It looked very dangerous.
The And, uh-hum, the plane did happen to spiral into the ground nose first.
The other that was hit recovered quickly, whilst the four others went on with the loop as though nothing had happened but I’ll bet they were crapping themselves – great professionalism, they didn’t panic and scatter.
The formation was definately not very high either and I consider the pilot who ejected very fortunate. The first lady on the scene said she expected him to be dead and when she saw he wasn’t she ran up and hugged him! Great story. 🙂
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