TWO separate investigations began yesterday into why a #30m Nimrod
surveillance aircraft ditched in flames in the Moray Firth.
The aircraft was only half an hour into a test flight, its first
following six months of major servicing and maintenance at RAF Kinloss,
when the seven-man crew was forced to ditch in the sea because of
serious engine fires.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing flames trailing from its starboard
engines within minutes of it taking off from Kinloss.
There were immediate fears for the lives of the seven crew members but
the Nimrod's captain, Flight Lieutenant Art Stacey, made a controlled
landing in the sea, ensuring that the crew members could be winched off
by helicopter without serious injury.
Two investigations were launched by an RAF board of inquiry and the
Air Accident Investigation Branch of the Civil Aviation Authority.
There was great praise for the captain's skill, which allowed what was
described as a textbook rescue. Kinloss Squadron Leader John Horrocks
said: ''I think he did exceptionally well getting it down in one piece.
It was a fine piece of aircraft handling.''
Group Captain Bob Joseph, the base's commanding officer, said they had
been fortunate such an experienced pilot had been in charge and that the
sea had been like a millpond.
He had visited Flt Lt Stacey at Gray's Hopital in Elgin, where he and
another crew member had been taken because they had been complaining of
back pains.
''They are perfectly all right. Flt Lt Stacey did an outstanding job
today, without a shadow of a doubt, to save the lives of his crew. He is
in good shape, laughing and joking, and the rest of the crew are
similarly in good shape.''
The RAF categorically denied reports suggesting that there had been a
fire on the same aircraft earlier in the week.
The Nimrod, from 51st Squadron RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, is
understood to be one of only three specifically designed for electronic
eavesdropping.
Its electronic equipment had been removed before going to Kinloss for
servicing but its specially modified airframe will be a serious loss to
the RAF.
Group Captain Joseph said he did not talk to the pilot in detail about
what had happened but he understood that Flt Lt Stacey had been trying
to come back to RAF Lossiemouth for an emergency landing.
The Nimrod had taken off at 10.53am on what was planned to be a three
or four-hour test flight. At 11.22, the crew sent a distress signal and
at 11.26, had completed a controlled landing at sea, three miles north
of Lossiemouth.
A Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, which was already airborne
in the area and knew of the Nimrod's difficulties, arrived on the scene
at 11.32 and all seven crew were winched to safety. Buckie and
Invergordon lifeboats had also been launched.
The helicopter pilot spoke of his horror as he watched the burning
aircraft plunge into the sea after hearing the calm voice of the pilot
give the chilling standard final call of an aircraft in trouble over the
sea: ''Ditching, ditching, ditching.''
Squadron Leader Bob Somerville was on a training exercise over the
Moray Firth when air traffic control alerted him of the distress signal
from the aircraft.
He said: ''The Nimrod was 13 miles north-east of Lossiemouth and I was
about 20 miles west of the Nimrod. The Nimrod pilot said he was
diverting to Lossiemouth and I adjusted my course to head for there as
well. It took me five minutes to get him in sight and we were flying
roughly towards each other.
''I was about three miles away and I could see the flames streaming
from the aircraft. There was quite a glow. The pilot then gave the
standard ditching call.
''He was very cool and calm and obviously in control of his aircraft.
I saw it plunge into the water at about 145mph, landing tail first. It
was a remarkable piece of flying by him. I was alongside in two
minutes.''
He added: ''The aircraft was floating nicely on the surface, and the
crew were already in their survival dinghy. They paddled away from the
aircraft and we picked them up. They didn't say much, just that they
were relieved that they were safe. Two of them had minor back injuries
and, after dropping the other five at Lossiemouth, I took them to
hospital in Elgin.''
His winchman, Sergeant Nick Lambert, suffered burns to his hands after
being splashed by burning fuel.
Mr Robert Newlands, an offshore worker who saw the aircraft coming
down from his home in Lossiemouth and viewed the drama through his
telescope, said: ''Flames seemed to be coming out of the wing and then
it just landed on the water. They obviously knew what they were doing
when they landed it.
''There was a helicopter there almost straight away, a grey Sea King,
followed shortly afterwards by a yellow Sea King. People came out the
top and liferafts were launched. They were off in minutes.
''The plane stayed afloat for about 10 minutes and then just went
down.''
Squadron Leader Horrocks said he was aware that there was an
eyewitness account which suggested the two starboard engines had gone on
fire but he could not confirm it. He said it was possible to fly a
Nimrod on just two engines in one wing but that would depend on the
other damage suffered.
The Nimrod weighed between 50 and 60 tonnes and he estimated it was
now lying in about 100ft of water. Every effort would now be made to
salvage the aircraft.
* A crewman on a naval reserve buoytender was killed yesterday in an
accident off South Uist in the Western Isles.
It is understood the civilian crewman was crushed between two massive
metal buoys on the deck of the Royal Maritime Auxilliary Service vessel,
the Salmaster.
The coastguard helicopter, based at Stornoway on Lewis, was scrambled.
The helicopter picked up a doctor at Benbecula on the way. He was
lowered on to the vessel with the winchman.
The 150ft vessel, which services buoys and other navigation markers,
was at Loch Carnan, north-west of South Uist.
The crewman was pronounced dead immediately. He had been found by his
crewmates crushed between the heavy metal buoys which are more than 12ft
high.
The helicopter took the body to Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway.
Police from Benbecula last night were making arrangements to go to the
Salmaster, which was still at anchor in Loch Carnan, to interview the
crew.
A Royal Navy spokesman said no statement would be made until the dead
man's relatives had been informed.
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