NZ F-111 crash Aug 79 photos ADF-serials.com

[paddy]

skyhawkdon said:

Ching Fuller's use of the A-4 undercarriage as a plough was a bit earlier than the photo here - I have a photo of his effort in my collection somewhere. Greg Elliot was the pilot of '55 which made these marks in 1989. Incidently I think many of the F-111 post crash fire photos were taken by former RNZAF Avionics Technician Davie Martell. Apparently he was watching the takeoff from the 75 Sqn flight line with his camera in hand and sprinted to the embankement and started snapping! A great collection of photos posted here - many I hadn't seen before. The road at the bottom of the embankement is a popular running road and when I used to run around the airfield in the late 1990's the scrape marks from the F-111 crash were still there!

That's a long run from 75 hangar to the embankment. Then he always was a fit little bugger. I remember him skateboarding around and under the Skyhawks in the hangar. In my time he was the only person that could remove and refit the Constant Speed Drive (sort of a mechanical Voltage Regulator at the front of the engine between the intakes) without removing the tail and engine.

[phil82]

paddy said:

Re the F111 Crash: I got out of the RNZAF earlier that year but 2 of my friends were in the bomb dump in 4 Store belting ammunition and went out to see the F111's take off. They said the crew capsule was below runway level when the parachute opened. That drop off had it's uses.
I believe the pilot flying the A4 that left the wheel marks was Sqn Ldr Ching Fuller an ex RAF Pilot and all round nice guy

He was indeed, in fact still is! Now lives in Auckland I believe.

Among other types , he spent some time on Lightnings before coming to us.

[FlyNavy]

RNZAF Official Ching Fuller 1978:

[phil82]

sniff said:

The drop is no more than 100 feet, from memory; but a good little work out at the end of a run around the airfield! The runway has been competely rebuilt since then (2002, I think?) and has a dispaced threshold. Piano keys were originally pretty close to the end of the runway when the accident happened; more of that in a moment from a RWY 09 perspective. I arrived in an Andover from Whenuapai shortly after the accident and as the Crash Plan had swung into action, no aircraft from the base were allowed to fly until fuel contamination had been ruled out. So we did the photo shoot from the air. OH Photo Flight/CPE will have a full set of pics, if someone has access to those??? Hint, hint! Talking to the Air Traffickers afterwards, they wish they were quick enough to tell the pilot to steer left off the runway; you can see from the Google pic that there was plenty of room, and the Pig went off the end at a very low speed - it might have stopped in the grass/soft ground. ATC also said the capsule descended back through the fireball and they were very lucky not to land back on the wreck.

From that, I would say that pic one as probabaly taken from an earlier depature, I dont think the pig would have been in full AB at that stage! Pic 5 would have been taken from the edge of the runway, that should give you a idea of the fall distance/drop.

It is not the first accident there, the one most remember was a landing on 09, by a flight of Vampires in 1967. Murray Whineray lost his life, caught in the suck at the end of runway by the prevailing wind.

There are plenty of other "just missed the runway" stories too, mostly A-4's shedding wheels/ploughing the grass short of the runway, not only on 09/27, but on 33 too. Don will possibly know them better than I.

First, the F111. The capsule did come very close to landing on top of the burning aircraft, as can be seen in the photos, in fact one crash vehicle on arrival placed between the capsule and the wreck while the crew were extricated,and was a bit scorched as a result.

Secondly, Whineray's Vampire. I was there, witnessed the whole thing, and I seem to recall the downdraft at 09, in this case, wasn't a factor, at least not in the eyes of the Inquiry. I have a set of four photos of the incident taken from the film made by NZTV at the time, but haven't posted them because I'm a sensitive old bugger! As with all accidents, there were a series of causal factors, not obvious until after the event. Murray was N0.3 in a flight of four, the fourth being Trevor Bland. On approach, his aircraft was seen to slow, possibly because of separation from N0.2, then there was a distinct 'wobble',as though the aircraft had run over something, and the nose dropped quite markedly, and didn't recover before hitting the top of the ramp, and sliding to a halt facing the way he had come at a point which used to be a concrete run-up pad just to the bottom of where the piano keys are now. Opinion at the Inquiry leaned toward wake turbulence from the aircraft in front, but I wouldn't care to comment on that. It's what appeared to happen to me. That initial impact, incidentally, was so hard the four cannon were deposited on the top of that ramp.

I also seem to recall a visiting USAF KC-135, clipping the fence at the end of 27 on arrival, so perhaps he was keen to use all the available runway!

There were lots of "incidents and accidents" at Ohakea, not all of them reported! Like being chased from 27 to the pan by a USN Constellation, the pilot of which had been told he 'had a bomb on board". Happy days, never a dull moment!

[skyhawkdon]

A RAAF Mirage clipped the top of the fence on the threshold of runway 15 once - it broke the top strand of wire and several wooden battons between the fence posts - he was a very lucky boy to get away with that! Phil - there is a photo of it in my collection somewhere if you want to post. There is also a very good one of a USAF F-16 coming across the same fence very low during Exercise Triad 84. A large framed print of this was in the Ohakea Officers' Mess.

[FlyNavy]

Don, I like the F-16 photo very much - what a 'drag in over the fence' that is. I'll look for the Miracle but don't recall seeing that one.

[skyhawkdon]

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo of the F-16 coming over the fence, but it is just a photograph of a photograph. Would be good to get a better copy one day from someone still at Ohakea... the Mirage photo will be in one of the 1970's folders I think.

[FlyNavy]

Don, Understand about the photo of photo, however what does the 'Mirage photo' show? I'm having trouble finding such a photo (not knowing what I'm looking for I think) in a lot of photos. Is this the one?

[skyhawkdon]

The one I'm thinking of is B&W and shows a Mirage (blurred) crossing the same fence as the F-16, but taken from the other (base) side. I'll have a look for it tonight. The photo of the Mirage flying between the hangars may have even been from the same exercise A great photo - luckily there were no wires between the hangars in those days!

[flycookie]

This has quickly beccome one of the most interesting threads on the forum for yonks. Great stuff, everyone. Keep it up!

[mcmaster]

I agree, top thread this! That 84 triad exercise looks like a good topic in itself. An NZ A4 doco video i have has a bit of footage at the end on this exercise. I recall US F16s and F15's and Aussie Mirages etc. The footage showed F15's scrambling to protect Ohakea from mock attacks by Mirages and NZ A4s. By the way, are any wide flightline shots available from that ex showing the participants, or any other good stories? Seems like in the 80's early 90's the USAF korean f16 units came south quite a bit remember seeing the WP (wolf pack) at williamtown. More recently seams as though marine air units are more common in Aus but could be wrong. Maybe its hjust that they've been "occupied" in a couple of Gulf wars etc

[FlyNavy]

I'll just rub the 'Don Simms RNZAF Brass Genie bottle' and hey presto - Shazaaam: (Triad 84 Ohakea line)




Next photo is a composite of two from Triad 84:

[mcmaster]

thats some rubbing going on there flynavy! brilliant. nice that first shot, bit of RAN paint too! Funny that those f16s are clean bar 1 sidewinder dummy each. that guy next to no 2 is wondering the same thing. I thought only f111's could do a dump and burn though methinks the right bias indicates something more sinister. any info on that f15 image?

[FlyNavy]

The fire truck was called to hose down the red ribbons hanging off of the F-15s (at FunnyWhoopDeeDoo) Whenuapai. One can tell I have been Yankified ("off of"). And I hope no one is offended at my little quips. These Kiwi place names have me bamboozled. ;D [Maybe the fire truck is there to douse the orange suited aircrew.]

[woodziee]

Fantastic photos, I love em.

[mcmaster]

Mirage A3-54 in later life in pakistan air force

[phil82]

I've heard Whenuapai [fen-oo-a-pie] called worse. I hitched a ride home once from Brize Norton in England on a RAF VC10, to Changi via Gan, and overheard the movers at Changi saying the same aircraft was going on to "when-oo-appy" in New Zealand. I was into Movements like a robber's dog, but there were no spare seats. I got a NZ Herc three days later!

[beagle]

sinbad said:

Don, I like the F-16 photo very much - what a 'drag in over the fence' that is. I'll look for the Miracle but don't recall seeing that one.

this photo could have been a regular occurance if someone had not cancelled a certain deal, abeit with a kiwi roundel.

[FlyNavy]

Maybe the government was worried about the fence at Ohakea? Triad84 again:

[vgp]

[Maybe the fire truck is there to douse the orange suited aircrew.]

It is their to show off the Super high technology that was employed at that time in history by RNZAF fire in comparison to an F-15 Eagle ;D