ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 145217
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| Date: | Wednesday 12 October 1966 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Percival Provost T52 |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Rhodesian Air Force |
| Registration: | RRAF310 |
| MSN: | PAC/56/370 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Lalapanzi, Midlands -
 Zimbabwe
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Umvuma, Rhodesia |
| Thornhill, Rhodesia | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
I was on the last leg of the No. 4 Squadron 19 OCU final low-level cross-country from Umvuma to Thornhill. I had just passed Lalapanzi at about 200ft when the engine started to falter. I decided that it was time to go for height and as I eased the throttle open the engine quit completely.
Ahead of me was trees but I had just passed over a small vlei, so I attempted a starboard turn through 270 degrees to position myself for a landing into wind. During the turn I hurriedly tightened my straps and pushed out a short Mayday call. It was short because I lost the VHF aerial as I clipped a tree on the edge of the vlei during my approach. I did not have enough height to complete the turn to land down the vlei so I was committed to landing diagonally across it.
As soon as I hit the ground I applied maximum braking as I could see the tree line on the far side coming up fast. I attempted to ground loop but as the tail was up due to the heavy breaking, nothing happened and I careered into the trees which brought the aircraft to an almost instant stop. It took me a second or two to gather my wits. I checked that everything was switched off, unstrapped, and tried to get out as quickly as I could in case of fire.
I attempted to wind back the canopy, but it wouldn’t move. Then I tried to jettison the canopy - again nothing happened. I opened the port cockpit emergency break-out panel but my escape route was blocked by a tree trunk. I then opened the starboard break-out panel and dived out only to be stopped halfway out by my parachute which was still strapped to my bum and was too big to go through the window. I had to climb back into the cockpit, undo the parachute and dive out the window again. I ended up in a crumpled heap on the ground. I picked myself up and beat feet for a few hundred yards across the vlei, where I stopped to see what was going to happen next.
After a few minutes a Vampire appeared overhead. Thornhill tower had picked up my short Mayday message and sent out a search aircraft.
(C/no. PAC/P56/370. Ordered for RAF as XF873 5 for delivery in September 1955. No delivered, diverted off contract to Rhodesia. Delivered to Royal Rhodesian Air Force 5 Dec 1955. Initially as RRAF147 later RRAF310).
Sources:
http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=179705#118636
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-africa/zim/af/types/provost.htm
http://www.ukserials.com/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Apr-2012 18:29 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 13-Apr-2022 16:34 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
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