ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 302156
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| Date: | Sunday 5 June 1983 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier FRS1 |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Navy |
| Registration: | ZA176 |
| MSN: | 912027 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | near Tenerife -
 Spain
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMS Illustrious (R06) |
| Cargo Ship Alraigo |
Performed an emergency landing aboard Cargo Ship Alraigo near Spain hours after departing from the HMS Illustrious off the coast of Portugal. Sub-Lieutenant Ian Watson, was a junior Royal Navy pilot undertaking his first NATO exercise which was operating off the coast of Portugal. According to Wikipedia Watson was launched in a pair of aircraft tasked with locating a French aircraft carrier under combat conditions including radio silence and radar switched off. After completing the search, Watson attempted to return to the Illustrious, but was unable to locate it. Running low on fuel, and with his radio having stopped working, Watson headed towards a nearby shipping lane, where he made visual contact with the container ship Alraigo. He initially planned to eject in sight of the vessel, but noticed that its cargo provided a flat landing surface. The ship was carrying a base plate for a telescope being delivered to the Isaac Newton Telescope in the Canary Islands. Watson landed the Harrier jet on the cargo ship, substantially damaging the jet but leaving Watson unscathed. Four days later, the Alraigo arrived at Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the Sea Harrier still perched on its container. The event received widespread media coverage. The aircraft was salvageable, and the ship's crew and owners were awarded £570,000 compensation according to Wikipedia.
Sources:
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/that-time-a-royal-navy-sea-harrier-did-an-emergency-landing-on-a-spanish-cargo-ship-the-alraigo-incident/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraigo_incident
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Jun-2023 05:30 | nhofmann54 | Updated |
| 13-Oct-2023 12:41 | Anon. | Updated |
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