Simviation Forums

Sadly, one of ThunderCity's English electric Lightnings crashed today at the Overberg airshow. The pilot is still missing.Dont know what went wrong. Pilot ejected over the sea. Im on my way from the airshow now. I will post pics later. Give a moment of your thought to the pilot....

Very sad news. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LE158471.htm

Fortunately there are no reports of anyone on the ground being hurt.

Very sad news. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LE158471.htm

Fortunately there are no reports of anyone on the ground being hurt.

It was during the show. I had the privilage of taking photos of the last flyby as well as the smoke of the explosion in the distance.  It happend 5 km from the crowd

RIP. A very sad accident.

The Lightning's last takeoff



The last Flypast



Smoke from the accident can be seen.



Rest in Peace Pilot Dave Stock.

It is said he had hydraulic failure, and also the canopy failed to jettison, and thus the result of failure to eject  :-(  He told the air traffic controller to tell his closest people he love them. Very sad, and shocking to all South African aviation enthusiasts. 

Saw some pics of the final moments earlier, the port tailplane apeared to be on fire at the root with the fire extending through the lower engine can, also a possible hydraulic fluid leak shortly after take off.

Think the pics are over at CBFS (classic brittish flight sim)

Saw some pics of the final moments earlier, the port tailplane apeared to be on fire at the root with the fire extending through the lower engine can, also a possible hydraulic fluid leak shortly after take off.

I know hydraulics have been mentioned a lot, but a back end fire after take off sounds like the old Lightning problem of a reheat nozzle fire. On the lightning the jet pipe nozzles had a rather odd design feature. Most aircraft of the time and up to today used/use air pressure to move the nozzle. The lightning uses pressurised fuel as the hydraulic medium to actuate the nozzle. Many lightnings were lost due to this "feature". Once alight, there was only one way the pilot was going to get home and that was generally by SAR.

Matt

Saw some pics of the final moments earlier, the port tailplane apeared to be on fire at the root with the fire extending through the lower engine can, also a possible hydraulic fluid leak shortly after take off.

I know hydraulics have been mentioned a lot, but a back end fire after take off sounds like the old Lightning problem of a reheat nozzle fire. On the lightning the jet pipe nozzles had a rather odd design feature. Most aircraft of the time and up to today used/use air pressure to move the nozzle. The lightning uses pressurised fuel as the hydraulic medium to actuate the nozzle. Many lightnings were lost due to this "feature". Once alight, there was only one way the pilot was going to get home and that was generally by SAR.

Matt

Interesting system?! see this post as Mr Tequila said  :

http://www.cbfsim.org/cbfsim/cbfsBB/vie ... =lightning

Saw some pics of the final moments earlier, the port tailplane apeared to be on fire at the root with the fire extending through the lower engine can, also a possible hydraulic fluid leak shortly after take off.

I know hydraulics have been mentioned a lot, but a back end fire after take off sounds like the old Lightning problem of a reheat nozzle fire. On the lightning the jet pipe nozzles had a rather odd design feature. Most aircraft of the time and up to today used/use air pressure to move the nozzle. The lightning uses pressurised fuel as the hydraulic medium to actuate the nozzle. Many lightnings were lost due to this "feature". Once alight, there was only one way the pilot was going to get home and that was generally by SAR.

Matt

That's interesting. It explains a lot.