ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 64495
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| Date: | Friday 29 October 1954 |
| Time: | 14:30 LT |
| Type: |  Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E) |
| Owner/operator: | 234 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | XB860 |
| MSN: | 598 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sittard, Limburg -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Geilenkirchen, West Germany |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Diverted to RAF before RCAF serial 19698 marked, became XB860 instead. First flight on 19 May 1953. Delivered to the RAF 17 August 1953. Used by No. 234 Squadron in Germany, coded "B". With this Squadron when it crashed shortly after takeoff on 29 October 1954. Exploded and broke up over Wintraal, Netherlands after being overstressed during a test flight. Pilot, Flying Officer Underdown landed in a tree still strapped into ejection seat and received serious injuries. The Sabre came down near Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands. According to one source (see link #5):
"He didn't actually eject as the aircraft broke up due to over-stressing as a result of failure of the artificial feel system. He ended up falling 2,000 ft and went backwards through several apple trees in an orchard before becoming embedded in the last one. He suffered multiple injuries but was back flying a year later."
It is also reported that the parachute attached to the ejector seat did not operate, so the impact must have been quite severe. The same source above believes that crashing through several successive apple trees helped to cushion the impact, and slow down the pilot, still strapped in his seat.
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.165 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1954.htm
3. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19651_19700_detailed.htm
4. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
5. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/97028-scarcely-believable-survival-accounts
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sittard
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 09-Jul-2009 00:47 | angels one five | Updated |
| 21-Aug-2013 06:36 | angels one five | Updated [Registration, Cn, Location] |
| 27-Dec-2013 18:06 | TB | Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 03-Jun-2019 12:36 | Cobar | Updated [Time, Departure airport] |
| 10-Jan-2020 22:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jan-2020 23:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Jan-2020 16:49 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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