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Date: | Wednesday 15 October 1958 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Folland Gnat F.1 Prototype |
Owner/operator: | A&AEE Boscombe Down |
Registration: | XK767 |
MSN: | FL.6 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Stapleford, 4 miles North of Wilton, Wiltshire -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Test |
Departure airport: | Boscombe Down Wiltshire (EGDM) |
Destination airport: | |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Folland Gnat F.Mk.1 XK767; Written off (destroyed) 15/10/58 - Loss of control six minutes after take off from Boscombe Down, when the aircraft entered a steep climb due to seizure of the flying control relay valve. Purpose of test flight was to study handling characteristics of aircraft at low speed in event of tailplane electric trimmer failure.
All Gnats were grounded as a result of this crash. Gnat XK767 crashed into a field at Stapleford, 4 miles North of Wilton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Pilot (Squadron Leader Ernest John "Red" Roberts, AFC, A&AEE Boscombe Down Test Pilot) ejected, but was unable to leave the custom-designed SAAB/Folland ejector seat, due to the failure of the harness release, and was killed on impact when he struck the ground.
The reported crash location of Stapleford is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Wilton, Wiltshire, England. The village is on the River Till just above its confluence with the River Wylye.
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.197 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 52)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/404:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424505 4.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XK 5.
http://web.archive.org/web/20121025182700/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Aircraft_by_Type/Folland_Gnat.htm 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folland_Gnat#Accidents_and_incidents 7.
http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1958.htm 8.
https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=258 9.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapleford,_Wiltshire Media:
Folland lightweight automatic ejection seat from a Folland Gnat. Photographed at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford 13 November 2015:
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
13-Jul-2011 11:52 |
Dr.John Smith |
Added |
14-Jul-2011 11:53 |
Dr.John Smith |
Updated [Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
10-Jun-2013 12:22 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Departure airport, Source] |
19-Oct-2014 17:30 |
Route |
Updated [Operator] |
25-Jan-2020 18:33 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |