1995 Royal Air Force Nimrod MR2 crash

Last updated

1995 Royal Air Force Nimrod MR2 crash
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 (801), UK - Air Force AN1914655.jpg
Nimrod MR.2, identical to the aircraft lost
Accident
Date2 September 1995 (1995-09-02)
Summary Pilot error
Site Lake Ontario, 0.8 km from Toronto
Aircraft
Aircraft type Nimrod MR2
Operator Royal Air Force
Registration XV239
Crew7
Fatalities7
Survivors0
A Nimrod undertakes a typical display manouvre - a pass of the display line in a bank with the weapons bay open. Air Tattoo International, RAF Boscombe Down - RAF - Nimrod - 130692 (8).jpg
A Nimrod undertakes a typical display manouvre - a pass of the display line in a bank with the weapons bay open.
The vertical stabilizer of XV239 was salvaged and displayed as part of a memorial to the crew at the Toronto Aerospace Museum. Hawker Siddeley Nimrod XV239 Tail.jpg
The vertical stabilizer of XV239 was salvaged and displayed as part of a memorial to the crew at the Toronto Aerospace Museum.

On 2 September 1995, a Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Nimrod aircraft crashed into Lake Ontario during an air display, killing all seven crew members on board. This was the second loss of an RAF Nimrod in four months, following the ditching of a Nimrod R1 in May.

Contents

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was XV239, a Nimrod MR.2 maritime patrol aircraft from RAF Kinloss. Operated by No. 120 Squadron, the aircraft was originally delivered to the RAF as an MR.1 in 1971, before being one of 35 Nimrod airframes selected for upgrade to MR.2 standard in the mid 1970s.

Background

On 23 August 1995, the aircraft and its crew had departed RAF Kinloss for Canada, where it was scheduled to take part in two separate air shows. [1] On the 26 and 27 August, the aircraft had been displayed at the Shearwater International Air Show at CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia. Following this, it transited to Toronto Pearson International Airport from where it would be based for display at the Canadian International Air Show (CIAS). [2] The manoeuvres planned had been used to display the Nimrod for much of the previous twenty years, with the four and a half minute routine described as "relatively straightforward". The day prior to the CIAS display, the aircraft's captain, Flight Lieutenant Dom Gilbert, gave an interview in which he stated that the plan was to approach the limits of the aircraft's performance. [3]

Crash details

On 2 September, the aircraft left Pearson Airport on time for its planned display slot. The weather was classed as excellent, with a slight on-shore wind (the display was to take place offshore over Lake Ontario). Having completed safety checks, the aircraft was taken on the standard display sequence for the Nimrod, two circuits of the display line (the area where the viewing crowd was located) and two "dumb-bell" turns; the dumb-bell manoeuvre encompassed a turn away from the display line and climb to approximately 1,000 ft, followed by a turn in the opposite direction and descent back onto the display line. [2] The circuits and first dumb-bell manouvre were successfully completed, followed by a slow fly-past with the undercarriage lowered. The aircraft then turned to starboard to begin the second dumb-bell turn - the undercarriage raised and the flaps set to allow the aircraft to climb at an attitude of 24°. As it reached the top of the climb, the airspeed fell to 122 knots as a result of the engines being powered back, before the aircraft banked and pointed downwards. Although the airspeed increased slightly, it was well below the recommended 150 knots for that part of the display, while the g-force load went to 1.6g. The low speed and g-loading led to a stall which saw the aircraft's nose drop to 18° below the horizon and it bank 85° to port. Despite full starboard aileron and full power being applied, the aircraft was too low by this point to recover and it hit the water. [2] The impact caused the airframe to break up, with the seven crew on-board killed instantly. [4]

Recovery

The recovery effort was immediately set in motion; divers initially located the wreckage, which had broken into four sections, but were unable to locate the crew. [5] To help with the search, a boat from the Toronto Police Service made its way to the crash site and dropped a remotely operated underwater vehicle containing sonar and video cameras. This was able to display images of the wreckage clearly to allow the recovery team to recover the bodies of the crew and debris from the aircraft. [6]

Investigation

A significant amount of data was available, given the public nature of the accident, and the RAF inquiry was able to determine that all of the aircraft's systems had been functioning normally, making it possible to rule out any mechanical or structural failure of the Nimrod as a potential cause. This resulted in the inquiry focusing on the actions of the crew, and in particular the aircraft's captain. It was determined that, at a previous display, he had made an error following the second dumb-bell turn that led to his crossing over the display line; this had not been reported as it should have been, which would have allowed analysis of the display manoeuvres before a scheduled practice run. Instead, on deploying to Canada, the captain amended the manoeuvre by tightening his turn to avoid crossing over the crowd through reducing engine power. This removed the safety margins for the aircraft in performing the display manoeuvres (primarily the dumb-bell) as it took it below the recommended speed and led to it stalling. [1]

The inquiry identified a number of deficiencies in the training regime for Nimrod display that may have contributed to the accident. Primarily, it suggested that the lack of a structured training programme, with theory and simulation as well as practice flights, combined with a lack of supervision in the air, led the captain to try out techniques outside the recommended performance envelope of both the Nimrod and the display. [1]

Aftermath

The recommendations of the RAF inquiry as regards the display of the Nimrod saw a change in the selection of display crews - up to this point, several Nimrod captains and crews per display season were selected. Following the inquiry, it was decided that a single crew, made up of instructors, would be specially selected from the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit, rather than from operational squadrons. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawker Siddeley Nimrod</span> Maritime patrol aircraft family by Hawker Siddeley, later British Aerospace

The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired maritime patrol aircraft developed and operated by the United Kingdom. It was an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first operational jet airliner. It was originally designed by de Havilland's successor firm, Hawker Siddeley; further development and maintenance work was undertaken by Hawker Siddeley's own successor companies, British Aerospace and, later, BAE Systems.

de Havilland Comet First commercial jet airliner

The de Havilland DH.106 Comet is the world's first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom, the Comet 1 prototype first flew in 1949. It features an aerodynamically clean design with four de Havilland Ghost turbojet engines buried in the wing roots, a pressurised cabin, and large windows. For the era, it offered a relatively quiet, comfortable passenger cabin and was commercially promising at its debut in 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avro Shackleton</span> British long-range maritime patrol aircraft

The Avro Shackleton is a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) which was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF). It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber, which itself had been a development of the famous wartime Avro Lancaster bomber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British European Airways Flight 548</span> Passenger aircraft crash in 1972 due to pilot error

British European Airways Flight 548 was a scheduled passenger flight from London Heathrow to Brussels that crashed near Staines, England, shortly after take-off on 18 June 1972, killing all 118 people on board. The accident became known as the Staines air disaster. As of 2024, it remains the deadliest air accident in the United Kingdom and was the deadliest air accident involving a Hawker Siddeley Trident. Initially, there were two survivors of the accident, a man who was discovered in the aircraft cabin, and a young girl. They both died at the scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Kinloss</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Moray, Scotland

Royal Air Force Kinloss, or more simply RAF Kinloss, is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north east of Scotland, UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avro Anson</span> 1935 multi-role military aircraft family by Avro

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airspeed Oxford</span> 1937 training aircraft by Airspeed

The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine monoplane aircraft developed and manufactured by Airspeed. It saw widespread use for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery roles throughout the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian International Air Show</span> Aviation event

The Canadian International Air Show (CIAS) is an annual air show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show is an aeronautical display of military, government and civilian aircraft, primarily from Canada and the United States. The show takes place along Toronto's waterfront for three days during the Canadian Labour Day weekend. The show began in 1946 and has been held at Exhibition Place since 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vickers VC.1 Viking</span> British airliner with 2 piston engines, 1945

The Vickers VC.1 Viking is a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the Second World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines, pending the development of turboprop aircraft like the Viscount. An experimental airframe was fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets and first flown in 1948 as the world's first pure jet transport aircraft. Military developments were the Vickers Valetta and the Vickers Varsity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Royal Air Force Nimrod crash</span> Airplane crash over Afghanistan

On 2 September 2006, a Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Nimrod suffered an in-flight fire and subsequently crashed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing all fourteen crew members on board. The crash, which occurred during a reconnaissance flight, was the biggest single loss of life suffered by the British military since the Falklands War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airspeed Envoy</span> 1930s British light aircraft

The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airspeed Ferry</span> British airliner designed for pleasure flights

The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was three-engined ten-seat biplane airliner designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited. It was the company's first powered aircraft to be produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Farnborough Airshow crash</span> Jet fighter crash in England

On 6 September 1952, a prototype de Havilland DH.110 jet fighter crashed during an aerial display at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, England. The jet disintegrated mid-air during an aerobatic manoeuvre, causing the death of pilot John Derry and onboard flight test observer Anthony Richards. Debris from the aircraft fell onto a crowd of spectators, killing 29 people and injuring 60.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4</span> British planned maritime patrol and attack aircraft

The BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 was a planned maritime patrol and attack aircraft intended to replace the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2. The rebuilt aircraft would have extended the operating life of the Nimrod fleet by several decades and significantly improved the aircraft by installing more efficient Rolls-Royce BR700 turbofan jet engines to almost double the flight range. The conversion of the flight deck to a digital glass cockpit would have simplified control operations and reduced crew requirements. New detection systems were to be installed, as well as additional weapons for anti-submarine warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Syerston Avro Vulcan crash</span> 1958 aviation accident

On 20 September 1958, during an air show at RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire, a prototype Avro Vulcan bomber crashed. All four crew on board and three people on the ground were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1</span> Type of aircraft

The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1 is a signals intelligence (reconnaissance) aircraft formerly operated by the Royal Air Force. The aircraft was a conversion of the existing Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft, with all of the electronic equipment and armament optimised for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, and search and rescue, replaced by equipment for the gathering of communications intelligence and electronic intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Royal Air Force Nimrod R1 ditching</span> Aircraft accident in Scotland

On Tuesday 16 May 1995, a Royal Air Force Nimrod R1 aircraft suffered an in-flight engine fire which led to the aircraft having to ditch in the Moray Firth. This was the first of two Nimrods to be lost in 1995; it was followed by the crash of a Nimrod MR2 in Canada in September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Żabbar Avro Vulcan crash</span> Crash of a British jet bomber in eastern Malta

The 1975 Żabbar Avro Vulcan crash was a military aviation accident that occurred in Malta on 14 October 1975 when an Avro Vulcan B.2 bomber crashed after an aborted landing at RAF Luqa. The aircraft crashed in a residential area in Żabbar, and five crew members and one civilian on the ground were killed. The two pilots managed to eject and survived the accident. The crash caused extensive damage to many buildings in Żabbar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Scotland RAF Shackleton crash</span> RAF Shackleton crash on the Isle of Harris, Scotland

On 30 April 1990, a Royal Air Force Avro Shackleton AEW Mk II aircraft, of No. 8 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Lossiemouth, crashed into a hill on the Isle of Harris whilst attempting to land at RAF Benbecula. All ten crew on board died in the crash, which included the wing commander who was in charge of No. 8 Squadron at the time. The Shackleton was the last of the fleet to be involved in a fatal accident, and the type was withdrawn from RAF service in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 South Pacific Airmotive DC-3 crash</span> Douglas DC-3 crash in Sydney, New South Wales

The 1994 South Pacific Airmotive DC-3 crash took place on 24 April 1994, when a Douglas DC-3 airliner operated by South Pacific Airmotive, tail number VH-EDC, ditched into Botany Bay shortly after takeoff from Sydney Airport in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The cause of the crash was determined by the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation to have been a power loss in the aircraft's left engine caused by an inlet valve being stuck in the open position, compounded by inadequate action on the part of the pilots; Rod Lovell, the pilot in command of the flight, has disputed BASI's conclusions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Military Aircraft Accident Summary of RAF Board of Inquiry" (PDF). UK Serials. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nimrod MR2P, 2 September 1995". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  3. Plys, Cate (15 August 1996). "Plane Stupid". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  4. "PLUNGE STUNS CNE AIR SHOW". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg. 3 September 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  5. Andrew Dola (4 October 2018). Lost Memories-CNE airshow crash 1995 (Video). YouTube. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  6. Elicierto, Alfred (24 September 2010). "Recalling the Nimrod air crash in Lake Ontario". Visual Storyteller. Retrieved 21 November 2019.