ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280424
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| Date: | Sunday 3 December 1967 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Schleicher K 7 |
| Owner/operator: | RAF GSA (RAF Gliding & Soaring Association) P2 in the |
| Registration: | RAFGSA343 |
| MSN: | 7235 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire |
Schleicher K 7 RAF GSA 343 (MSN 7235): RAF Gliding & Soaring Association. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 4 December 1967 when crashed on landing at RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire. According to one source (see link #1) the pilot was killed:
Added by RedEdge 10th June 2023
This is a personal eyewitness account of the accident to RAF GSA 343 on Sunday 3rd December 1967 and not authoritative in any way.
From early 1967 I was a member of the RAF GSA gliding club based at RAF Leeming. Soon after I joined, the club relocated to RAF Dishforth and I continued my flying training through the remainder of the year, going solo for the first time in July of that year in a Slingsby T21.
On Sunday 3rd December I was invited to fly as P2 in RAF GSA 343, a Schleicher Ka7 operated by the club, for an air experience flight in the local area.
The launch was by aerotow from the eastern end of runway 28 and as P2 I was in the front seat.
The preflight checks were completed and we commenced the roll on the runway to flying speed and both the tug and the glider became airborne as normal. It was soon apparent that the normal rate of climb was not being achieved by either aircraft and with the limited amount of runway remaining and the fact that ground clearance was reduced by the elevated A1 trunk road running across the end of the runway the tug pilot took the decision to release the tow. The tug was then able to climb to clear the A1 and complete the circuit.
The glider however had incufficient runway remaining to land straight ahead due to the proximity of the boundary fence and the elevated A1. The pilot in command took the decision to turn to port to attempt a landing on the grass parallel to the boundary fence.
During the turn, the port wingtip dug into the ground and the aircraft then cartwheeled before coming to rest in an upright position. As P2 in the front seat I was trapped in the cockpit due to the deformation of the tubular airframe around my feet. The pilot in command was able to exit the aircraft from the rear seat. The first responders were two lorry drivers who had seen the accident from the A1, stopped their vehicles, jumped the boundary fence and arrived on the scene. They, together with the pilot, were able to release me from the front seat by bending the tubular airframe and removing my boots. Neither of us were injured in the landing but I received a cut to my left small finger from the jagged and sharp cloth fuselage fabric. The cut required four stitches from a local GP in the front room of his house later in the day.
The aircraft was damaged beyond repair with the front of the fuselage severely compressed and the wings fractured close to the roots.
The cause was not completely clear but the opinion at the time was that during the take off there was a particularly strong downdraft from a wave aircurrent which is a common feature in the area to the east of the Pennines. The tug pilot did not report any loss of power during the take off run but the inability to gain altitude was obvious. I am not aware if there was a formal report produced as a result of the accident.
My logbook shows the flight as being on 3rd December 1967 in Ka7 343 at Dishforth as P2 with a time in air of 2 minutes.
Summary: Date 3rd December 1967 Occupants 2 Fatalities 0
"ONE-HUNOREO-AND-FOUR accidents or incidents haVe been reported by BGA Clubs in the period October, 1967, to September, 1968. Five pilots from BGA clubs and one from the RAFGSA have been killed, four of these six tragic but unnecessary fatalities were caused by inadvertent spins set up for varying reasons. Of the remaining two, one was caused by a mis-rig and the other by an inexperienced, but over-confident, pilot attempting to land his glider in an unsuitable area".
Sources:
1. 'Sailplane & Gliding' February-March 1969 p.52: https://www.lakesgc.co.uk/mainwebpages/Sailplane%20&%20Gliding%201961%20to%201970/Volume%2020%20No%201%20Feb-Mar%201969.pdf
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/k7.htm
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_Northern_England.pdf
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Dishforth
Personal account as P2 in the aircraft at the time of the accident
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jul-2022 22:58 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 12-Jun-2023 11:40 | RedEdge | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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