ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 55558
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 25 August 1981 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 |
| Owner/operator: | 3 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | XZ139 |
| MSN: | 712198 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 10 n.m. W. of Sögel, Lower Saxony -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Gütersloh, Germany (GUT/ETUO) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed 10 miles west of Sögel, near Ahlhorn, West Germany after the pilot ejected following loss of control. The tailplane operating linkage bolt had come off due to a securing split pin being omitted during servicing nineteen days previous
Pilot later named as Flight Lieutenant Mike D Beech, who ejected safely at 400 feet AGL and 60 degrees of bank.
**********************************
This was a 2v2 Low-level Evasion exercise for No.2's Combat Ready workup. "Benchers" was No.3 and OC3(F) was No.4. We were "tapped" by Benchers from the SW whilst we were heading north and countered 180 port to rollout heading 180. During the counter, Benchers (who was in a left turn trying to get a shot) suddenly pitched up in voilent wing-rock and disappeared into the low-ish cloudbase. Just before I rolled out of my countering turn I saw Benchers' ac emerge from cloud, oscillating wildly in bank with a high rate of descent and little apparent airspeed, on a westerly heading and approximately 300m WSW of me in my 2 o'clock. As I rolled off bank to watch, his aircraft rolled left, completely inverted, and Benchers ejected in my 3 o'clock at about 80 degrees AOB (10 degrees above the horizon) and below me. I was at 250' AGL. His trajectory was virtually horizontal.
The rocket pack fired and the drogue deployed the parachute but it seemed an eternity before the scissor-shackle released the seat. The parachute deployed, "breathed" once. and Benchers landed before he had swung to the vertical. I have seen several ejections, but I thought that this one had been well beyond seat parameters. However, soon afterwards, Benchers stood up and waved.
Two additional points: firstly, in flying around the crash site (No.2 was immediately sent home), I almost collected OC3(F), head-on (dangerous places crash sites - everybody looks inwards); and secondly, the first person on scene was a "Bratty Wagon" who set up in anticipation of brisk business from the assembling spectators !
Sources:
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1982/1982
http://mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7DC4B14F-1BD6-41B3-9AE2-47BA6E4A9D44/0/maas81_16_harrier_gr3_xz139_25aug81.pdf
http://web.archive.org/web/20161217162442/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/harrier/harrier.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Harrier_Jump_Jet_family_losses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%B6gel
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jan-2009 11:59 | harro | Updated |
| 06-Aug-2011 00:17 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Apr-2013 08:28 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 28-Jun-2018 10:34 | ehren69 | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 20-Jul-2022 18:20 | ODR | Updated [Phase, Narrative] |
| 22-Jul-2022 05:55 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation