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Post by skyhawkdon on Aug 3, 2022 15:49:56 GMT 12
It's a fascinating HUD tape that one. They certainly left the ejection until the very last second! By then the aircraft was nearly stalled and in a high rate of decent. Had a good outcome for both on board thanks to the MB MK10 seats but it was a close call.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 19, 2022 11:13:33 GMT 12
Here is another Kiwi ejection! From The Press, 29 October 1975. I had forgotten till now, Mike Keane was from Cambridge!
Bravery award to N.Z. pilot
(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) LONDON, October 28.
A New Zealand pilot in the Royal Air Force has been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for valuable service in the air, for his “unselfish courage and devotion to duty.”
The award was made to Flight Lieutenant Anthony Michael Keane, aged 34, who was born in Hamilton. After a fire broke out in his Phantom fighter over Holland last November Fit Lt Keane risked his life by choosing to remain in the jet and guide it away from a town below.
As the fire spread and the controls of the Phantom stiffened Fit Lt Keane ordered the navigator to eject, which he did successfully. When open country was reached the Phantom’s nose pitched up, and with all control lost, Fit Lt Keane decided to eject. His first two attempts were unsuccessful, but on the third try he managed to eject and parachute to safety.
The Phantom crashed into a wood. In the citation. Fit Lt Keane was described as having acted “with speed, commendable presence of mind, and in a thoroughly calm and professional manner.”
Commenting on his decision to delay his own ejection until open country was reached, it added: "This act of unselfish courage almost cost him his life when he experienced problems in firing his own ejection seat. His display of gallantry and devotion to duty has brought the highest praise and warmest gratitude from local Dutch and German civilians.”
Fit Lt Keane joined the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1961 and was commissioned into the R.A.F. in 1967.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 30, 2022 0:18:22 GMT 12
RAAF 25th October 1978 F-111C A8-141 Wg/Cmdr (P) David Norman ‘Dave’ Rogers, # 0221357 Hauraki Gulf (near Auckland, NZ) RAAF 25th October 1978 F-111C A8-141 Fl/Lt (N) Peter William Growder # 0117122 Hauraki Gulf (near Auckland, NZ)
Crew abandon $12M fighter-bomber over Hauraki Gulf
PA Auckland An Australian Defence Department team of four will fly to New Zealand today to investigate the crash into the Hauraki Gulf yesterday of a $12M F-111 fighter-bomber of the Royal Australian Air Force. But an Australian Defence spokesman said last evening that there was no question at this stage of the other three F-111s at present in New Zealand being grounded. All the other swing-wing aircraft will, however, have a routine safety check as soon as possible. Last evening the two crewmen of the aircraft — the third R.A.A.F. F-111 to be lost since April last year — were at Whenuapai Air Base after parachuting to safety and being taken to Auckland Hospital for a medical check. They were prohibited from giving interviews. The pilot of the aircraft, Wing Commander D. N. Rogers, of Sydney, who is also commander of No. 6 Squadron R.A.A.F., and the navigator, Flight Lieutenant P. Growder, of Brisbane, were picked up off Waiheke Island in an almost copybook rescue. They were shaken but otherwise unhurt as they ejected the cockpit module from their supersonic jet. As the capsule floated under a parachute and the aircraft began a shallow dive into the water, a scallop boat skipper, Mr L. E. Subritzky, radioed the news to Auckland Radio just after 12.45 p.m. The F-111 was on a routine maritime exercise when the crew reported overheating — hot air was flowing from the engine into the wheel well — only a few seconds before sending out a Mayday call and ejecting. The jet appeared to stall after a three-kilometres glide towards the sea and finally cartwheeled into the ocean about three kilometres north of Thumb Point, off Waiheke Island. The module splashed down about eight kilometres to the east. A runabout with a fleet of three scallop boats took the airmen on board from the capsule. From the runabout the pair were winched on board an R.N.Z.A.F. Iroquois helicopter that had arrived at the scene from Hobsonville within 15 minutes of the Mayday call. The two Australians greeted the helicopter crew with a loud “whoopee.” Still trembling from their escape, they nodded agreement when asked if they felt like a whisky. They also indicated they would be just as keen to see a doctor and to telephone their families in Australia. At 12.50 p.m., only five minutes after the first alert, an R.N.Z.A.F. Iroquois crew left from Hobsonville to go to the rescue. An R.N.Z.A.F. Hercules already in the air in the vicinity was directed to the scene to pinpoint the survivors and direct the rescue work. Flight Lieutenant D. V. F. Hamilton and his crew of two took only 17 minutes to reach the scene. “There were about three fishing boats in the area round the ejection capsule and the crew had been taken aboard a small 12ft dinghy,” said Flight Lieutenant Hamilton. It was a straightforward task; the sea was calm and the weather fine. It was just a matter of making one sweep to ascertain the situation before winching the survivors on board. The Navy hydrographic vessel Monowai remained on station last night, using special wide-scan sonar in an effort to locate any major pieces of wreckage. “If any ship is going to find the wreckage it will be the Monowai," a spokesman said. “She has electronic equipment ideally suited to the task.” A bang like a clap of thunder, followed by a sharp shockwave, marked the death dive of the F-111 into the Hauraki Gulf. Scallop fishermen dredging off Gannet Rock heard the crew eject from the stricken aircraft and watched it fall flaming into the sea. The skipper of the Whitianga-based Walu, Mr D. B. Henson, was in the wheelhouse when the F-111 caught fire. “I heard a bang like thunder right overhead and felt a definite shockwave. I thought something had gone wrong with my boat. “My son Dennis shouted, ‘Look at that.’ At first I thought he had seen a boat on fire. Then I looked up and saw the aircraft in flames. “The fire seemed to start around the wings and spread right back to the tail. There was no smoke —just bright flame.” "When it was about 150 metres off the water it seemed to nose up. It side-slipped and went in with a noise like a huge oar slapping the water. The plane just seemed to disintegrate." Pieces were sent flying everywhere. PRESS, 26 OCTOBER 1978  An Auckland trawler towing part of the Fill wreckage, believed to be the canopy, after finding it off Waiheke Island.  Wing Commander Rogers after leaving an R.N.Z.A.F. helicopter at Whenuapai Airbase. |
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Post by Antonio on Aug 30, 2022 1:20:33 GMT 12
What was the fate of the module?
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Post by tbf2504 on Aug 30, 2022 9:47:16 GMT 12
I believe it became a training aid for the RAAF
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 30, 2022 14:28:34 GMT 12
With a Subritzky so close by with his boat I am surprised the F-111 module did not end up at Don's place.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 30, 2022 14:37:16 GMT 12
F111 part recovered
A large piece of the crashed Royal Australian Air Force F111 fighter-bomber was lifted off the seabed near Waiheke Island on Sunday afternoon by Auckland Harbour Board equipment and taken to the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Hobsonville. It was a piece of the fuselage with one engine attached. A board spokesman said it appeared to be very badly damaged. Attempts to raise the wreckage began late last week but the weather until Sunday was too rough for diving.
The Press, 28 November 1978
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Post by Antonio on Aug 30, 2022 16:07:04 GMT 12
If I remember correctly a RNZN Diver lost his life during the recovery operation
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 4, 2022 16:50:55 GMT 12
Here is the other F-111 crash:
F111 destroyed in take-off crash
PA Wellington
The two crew members ejected safely as their Australian F111 supersonic swing-wing jet fighter burst into flames and crashed as it was sweeping along the runway at the Ohakea airbase for takeoff yesterday. The crash happened just before noon when four of the twin-engine planes were taking off to join in a Tasmanex exercise, the joint 10-day four-nation trials in the South Pacific which ended yesterday.
The first two F111s were safely airborne when eyewitnesses saw flames shooting from the third aircraft.
The aircraft apparently suffered failure of both engines, according to an R.N.Z.A.F. spokesman.
As it careered towards the end of the runway the crew members pressed the ejector button and their escape capsule was hurled hundreds of feet into the air.
Eyewitnesses saw them float to the ground when their parachute opened, pick themselves up, and walk away unaided. They were taken away by ambulance to Palmerston North Hospital, where they were resting last evening. The pilot suffered back injury, said an Australian Ministry of Defence spokesman in Canberra later.
But the injury to Flying Officer Mark Kelly, aged 22, married, of Armidale, Victoria, was not serious. The navigator, Flight Lieutenant Alan Curr, aged 30, single, of Ballandean, Queensland, was not hurt. The spokesman said the aircraft had been travelling at 120 knots at the time of the emergency and there had been no time for the pilot to pull it up before reaching the end of the runway.
The aircraft ended up in a gully off the end of the runway and was destroyed.
The crash was the fourth involving R.A.A.F. F111 aircraft since 24 were bought for $300 million in 1973.
An R.N.Z.A.F. spokesman said the F111’s crew had tried to bring the aircraft to a stop but had ejected when they ran out of runway. As the plane plunged into the gully its nose cone separated from the rest of the fuselage and both caught fire.
Three fire engines from the base attended the blaze and the area was cordoned off to all sightseers. The Base Adjutant, (Squadron Leader B. R. Anderson), said the area would remain cordoned and the crash would be the subject of an Australian court of inquiry. The crash came 10 months after an Australian F111 burst into flames and crashed in the Hauraki Gulf also while in New Zealand on an exercise.
The wreckage of that aircraft was recovered with considerable difficulty and taken back to Australia. No-one was killed in that crash but a New Zealand diver died during the plane’s recovery.
Yesterday was the first time for more than a week that the east-west runway at Ohakea had been used. Had the north-south runway been used, the F111 could well have crashed into the township of Bulls.
The aircraft had 4500 gallons of fuel aboard. The last serious accident at Ohakea was on October 18, 1974, when Wing Commander F. Kinvig ejected from a Skyhawk on take-off.
PRESS, 25 AUGUST 1979
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Post by dangerboy666 on Feb 14, 2023 1:25:05 GMT 12
The aircraft wasn't performing aerobatics when it hit the trees. It was flying level at low level (100-200ft AGL) and flew into a stand of taller trees on a ridgeline. It is believed the position of the sun was a factor and the fact that he was expecting to be bounced so would have been looking behind the aircraft and not spending a lot of time looking forward. He initiated ejection after loosing control with the aircraft, at approx. 90 deg angle of bank and descending. His seat had just cleared the aircraft when it and the aircraft impacted the trees/ground. Don, I'm glad you corrected this post. I wonder where the "aerobatics" idea came from? I'll add that rather than the sun being believed to be a factor, the Formal Inquiry members, plus aviation medicine specialist, flew the flight route after the event on board a No. 3 Squadron UH-1H. Their--shared--observation was that the isolated stand of trees into which "Roscoe" Tanner flew was, at altitudes around which you quoted, very difficult to identify distinct from the logged terrain surrounding that stand of trees. The aircrew member of the Board put the hypothesis that, by virtue of the higher terrain in the far (5-8 nautical mile) background, the pilot did not distinguish the isolated stand of higher, mature pine trees in the higher background. The terrain rose from the Waikato River valley in the direction (East) of the pre-planned flight route at a gradient of 1 in 150 for 3 nautical miles (45 seconds flight time) and then at a gradient of 1 in 40 for the following 3 nautical miles. While the accident site was not in mountainous terrain (the Urewera Ranges "tiger country" was another 10 nautical miles to the East) the plantation pine forest was a patchwork laid out on terrain more typical of the central North Island plateau than the river valley dairy farms over which the tactical formation of two aircraft had passed over just prior to the impact. The aircraft impacted the stand of mature trees approximately 100 feet above ground level, an altitude that was approximately 700 feet above the ground level the aircraft had passed over only 45 seconds prior. While no assumptions can be made as to the pilot's lookout cycle, it is highly likely that forward lookout was maintained, interspersed with lookout in all other directions. The flight path chosen by Roscoe to clear the coming rising terrain was insufficient to clear the isolated, and potentially unobserved, stand of trees that had not been logged. The stand of trees was approximately one acre in area. The flight exercise included another aircraft (possibly a Macchi 339 CB flown by the "bounce" pilot Steve "Brom" Bromley - from memory, but it could also have been another Strikemaster) in an intercept role, dead reckoning visual engagements at selected points along the route: points unknown to the strike package pilots. Wing and squadron tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) at the time included high reliance on visual lookout, particularly in vulnerable sectors (anything other than the forward quarter). With a high turn rate, reasonably tight turn radius and exceptionally low profile from all forward and rear angles, an intercepting Macchi 339CB posed a significant detection challenge, accentuated at low level by background clutter and its camouflaged paint scheme. Although 60 plus knots slower in combat manoeuvre, the Strikemaster had a tighter turn radius, friendlier handling at low speed but much slower acceleration. Regardless of the intercept aircraft type, it is reasonable to assume that Roscoe; flying approximately 1.2 nautical miles to the right of and 200 metres forward of his flight lead, Andrew "Daff" Niles: was dedicating a portion of his attention to clearing airspace for his flight lead, particularly in search of the bounce. The bounce aircraft was not in the immediate vicinity of the "battle" formation of two Strikemasters at the time of the accident. Weather conditions were suitable, and were not assessed as material to the accident. Evidence at the scene indicated the aircraft was 5 degrees left wing down at impact with the trees, and suffered severed flight controls when the wing leading edges, and wing fuel tanks, were perforated by pine trunks/branches (samples of severed control cables with wood fragments embedded were found at the crash site), and commenced a rapid roll to the left that was not (or was unable to be) corrected. Based on TTPs in use at the time of the accident, aircraft speed at impact was likely to be within the range 230-280 KIAS. The likely rapid deceleration could not be accurately estimated and therefore timing of ejection initiation could not be reliably estimated. However, aircraft/seat separation probably occurred within 5 seconds of first impact with the trees and, almost certainly, with the aircraft at approximately 130 degrees left wing down, and perhaps 10-15 degrees nose down. The ejection was not survivable due to the angle of bank at seat/aircraft separation, the proximity to the ground at seat separation from the aircraft, and the resulting destruction of the seat by ground impact before man/seat separation could occur. Rest in peace Roscoe. |
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Post by dangerboy666 on Feb 14, 2023 1:32:20 GMT 12
A few points on the F-111 ejection at Ohakea. The standing water on the runway was the killer, Al Curr confessed in an (un-named) bar years later to being worried about the capsule landing in the fireball and a local farm hand driving past at the time assured me he got the whole event on Super 8 reel film. I don't believe this film ever came to light for the inquiry but I had no reason to doubt the cinematographer's word. One day maybe...
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Post by falcon124 on Feb 14, 2023 8:29:33 GMT 12
We interviewed Al Curr (then a WGCDR) in 2010 at the F-111 media event in Amberley to kick off its retirement. He talks about the crash, how local knowledge of the tendency towards standing water could have helped them avoid it plus mentioned his concerns about the capsule winding up in the fire. The interview starts at 2:14:12. www.planecrazydownunder.com/2011/01/21/episode-51-pig-out/I remember my father noting that the morning edition of the local newspaper carried a different photo of the fire team spraying the wreckage with foam compared to the afternoon edition. Apparently the first photo showed the team downwind of the fire while the second showed them upwind. Anyone got access to the archives of Palmy's local newspaper in 1979?  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 14, 2023 21:41:45 GMT 12
It would be very interesting to see that Super 8 film.
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Post by classicman on Feb 20, 2023 16:15:12 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 13, 2023 9:32:25 GMT 12
Craig Forster just reminded me that today is 30 years to the day since he and Steve Gyde ejected from the Macchi.
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Post by McFly on Oct 13, 2023 11:57:44 GMT 12
Craig Forster just reminded me that today is 30 years to the day since he and Steve Gyde ejected from the Macchi. Can you remind 'Force' that the RNZAF is still waiting for the jet he signed out and never returned to be personally recompensed via a 'Form 664B' (Stores Accounting Recovery Action)...   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 20, 2024 21:53:26 GMT 12
Related to the topic, this article announces the first ejection seats that were coming to New Zealand. From The Press, 22 Feb 1956:
Ejector Seats For New Vampire Jet Trainers
"The Press” Special Service
AUCKLAND, February 21.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force will soon have in this country its first jet aircraft with ejector seats. The No. 14 Fighter Squadron has them in the Venoms it is flying in Malaya. The seats will be in five new Vampire trainers, two of which are almost ready for testing from Hobsonville.
Twenty-one Vampire fighters are also to be assembled. They were used by the Royal Air Force, and at least three are carrying the colours of the Tactical Air Force stationed in Germany.
None of the present ejector seats can be fitted into the slim fighters. The trainer has a wider fuselage, and it seats two, the instructor and pupil, side-by-side. The seat weighs about 70lb, with parachute and dinghy pack. The airman sits on the pack.
At the high jet speeds a pilot cannot escape by his own efforts from his aircraft if it is in trouble, and it was the jet age which made the introduction of some means of propulsive escape necessary.
Briefly, what happens is that on the firing of a cartridge—in some aircraft, on the firing of several—the pilot is ejected seat and all above and behind the aircraft. If someone decided to eject himself from a Vampire while it was stationary on the ground he would be shot about 50 feet into the air.
The ejector seat not only gets the airman out of the plane, but it also fires him well clear of the tail assembly. By automatic means, the seat falls away from the airman, and the parachute, also automatically released, takes him to the ground.
The Vampires are finished in a highspeed gloss, and surprisingly, the bigger dual Vampire is faster than the fighter, although both use the Goblin engine. The reason for this is that the trainer, although bigger, is of cleaner design.
The critical Mach number of the trainer is .81, while that of the fighters is .78 —the speed of sound is Mach 1. At sea level that speed is 762 miles an hour under average conditions, and at 36,000 feet it is 660 miles an hour. Above that height the speed of sound remains constant.
The aircraft are shipped to New Zealand broken down and in crates, by the Ministry of Supply. Their cost is not known at Hobsonville, but the price of the new trainer, especially, is probably fairly high.
An Ohakea pilot is expected to test each machine. They will be flown from Hobsonville to Whenuapai, and the tests will take place from there, as it has adequate runways and control.
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