Jet. When Britain Ruled The World.

[VVC-Geeza]

Originally Posted by FLYING BANANA

There is a good story about the Lightning that crashed in the North Sea with the mystery regarding the loss of the pilot. The book is titled Eject! Eject! And is by John Nichol. The book covers the history of the ejector seat, well worth a read.

I've met John Nichol,Bob,and have couple of his books.He certainly has the authority to talk about the ejector seat as,he did on that evening.I would like to have seen him and John Peters tour together.

[VVC-Geeza]

Originally Posted by planenut

If one wants to delve further on the loss over the North Sea, read this, and realize who makes the last comment, respect.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/york...bduction.shtml

No mention of the closed canopy and empty cockpit when recovered.I can see why the UFO
lot got involved.

[WillyHeckaslike]

It's some years since I first read of the incident concerning the loss of the the US exchange pilot and the F6 that he was flying and a recent google hasn't revealed anything new. The jet was recovered relatively intact with the ejection seat still in situ together with the pilot's personal survival pack (PSP) which sits in the base/pan of the ejection seat. All of the straps and connections to the seat had been released showing that the pilot had vacated the cockpit manually - he had climbed out. Sadly for whatever reason he left without the PSP which contained a very important item for the circumstances, a dinghy. The seat state also showed that the pilot had tried to eject as the seat pan handle had been pulled to initiate ejection but the seat had not fired. For the seat to fire the canopy had to be gone and the canopy was still in place, the firing unit for the canopy was found to be defective.

It was a failure of the canopy to release which prevented the pilot ejecting from the Lightning in the fatal Thunder City incident in 2009. The company's operating licence was suspended in the aftermath of that incident and it stopped its warbird flights for the paying public. The owner of the company died a few years later.

[VVC-Geeza]

Originally Posted by WillyHeckaslike

It's some years since I first read of the incident concerning the loss of the the US exchange pilot and the F6 that he was flying and a recent google hasn't revealed anything new. The jet was recovered relatively intact with the ejection seat still in situ together with the pilot's personal survival pack (PSP) which sits in the base/pan of the ejection seat. All of the straps and connections to the seat had been released showing that the pilot had vacated the cockpit manually - he had climbed out. Sadly for whatever reason he left without the PSP which contained a very important item for the circumstances, a dinghy. The seat state also showed that the pilot had tried to eject as the seat pan handle had been pulled to initiate ejection but the seat had not fired. For the seat to fire the canopy had to be gone and the canopy was still in place, the firing unit for the canopy was found to be defective.

Hi Steve

I assume you mean the pilot climbed out of the cockpit after it crashed into the sea?Quite a fete considering it was at night during very bad weather.Unusual that the body never surfaced in the following days/weeks.Thanks for all the extra information - still a bit of a mystery to me. Open verdict you could say

[torque2me]

Originally Posted by WillyHeckaslike

It's some years since I first read of the incident concerning the loss of the the US exchange pilot and the F6 that he was flying and a recent google hasn't revealed anything new. The jet was recovered relatively intact with the ejection seat still in situ together with the pilot's personal survival pack (PSP) which sits in the base/pan of the ejection seat. All of the straps and connections to the seat had been released showing that the pilot had vacated the cockpit manually - he had climbed out. Sadly for whatever reason he left without the PSP which contained a very important item for the circumstances, a dinghy. The seat state also showed that the pilot had tried to eject as the seat pan handle had been pulled to initiate ejection but the seat had not fired. For the seat to fire the canopy had to be gone and the canopy was still in place, the firing unit for the canopy was found to be defective.

It was a failure of the canopy to release which prevented the pilot ejecting from the Lightning in the fatal Thunder City incident in 2009. The company's operating licence was suspended in the aftermath of that incident and it stopped its warbird flights for the paying public. The owner of the company died a few years later.

Funny thing about the canopy is that it was a watchword within the RAF that it was the difficulty in keeping it fitted that exercised everyone's brains whilst the aircraft was in service.
Kev