Post by TC on Oct 15, 2005 15:35:35 GMT 2
An RAF tornado plane has crashed into the sea off the east coast of Scotland shortly after taking off from its base.
The pilot and navigator suffered minor injuries after ejecting from the £20m fighter jet about 1745 BST on Friday.
The two crewmen, who were on a training exercise, were picked up 10 miles south east of RAF Leuchars in Fife.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the men, who were taken by helicopter to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, were "fit" but they had "bumps and scrapes".
They were later taken to a spinal unit in Nottingham to be assessed for any serious injury.
Meanwhile, a specialist RAF crash recovery team from Wales was to make its way north to recover the wreckage of the fighter plane.
RAF spokesman in Scotland, Michael Mulford, said: "They took off at 1745 BST and climbed into the skies above Leuchars and air traffic lost them.
"They would have travelled about 10 miles and their flight would have lasted about two minutes before they came down, going at about 500mph.
"They will be assessed at a spinal unit down south for a couple of days as a matter of procedure, as when you bang out like that, you can bend your spine.
"Once you eject, your parachute opens and you land in the sea still in your seat, which becomes your dinghy, and has a distress beacon attached.
"That's how they are located. They were in Ninewells Hospital an hour after ditching - that's a textbook rescue, I can tell you."
Fighter squadrons
The RAF Board of Inquiry will meet next week to investigate the accident - pilot error, mechanical or electrical malfunction, fire on board or bird strike are possible causes.
RAF Leuchars is home to three Tornado F3 fighter squadrons which have about 50 jets, equipped with rockets, cannon and missiles.
The men were found shortly before 1830 BST after two lifeboats and two helicopters scoured the area where the F3 went down.
The Sea King helicopters were scrambled from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and from the naval air station at Gannett, near Prestwick in Ayrshire.
The aircraft from RAF Boulmer found the pair and airlifted them to hospital.
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Source :
BBC - news.bbc.co.uk
The pilot and navigator suffered minor injuries after ejecting from the £20m fighter jet about 1745 BST on Friday.
The two crewmen, who were on a training exercise, were picked up 10 miles south east of RAF Leuchars in Fife.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the men, who were taken by helicopter to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, were "fit" but they had "bumps and scrapes".
They were later taken to a spinal unit in Nottingham to be assessed for any serious injury.
Meanwhile, a specialist RAF crash recovery team from Wales was to make its way north to recover the wreckage of the fighter plane.
RAF spokesman in Scotland, Michael Mulford, said: "They took off at 1745 BST and climbed into the skies above Leuchars and air traffic lost them.
"They would have travelled about 10 miles and their flight would have lasted about two minutes before they came down, going at about 500mph.
"They will be assessed at a spinal unit down south for a couple of days as a matter of procedure, as when you bang out like that, you can bend your spine.
"Once you eject, your parachute opens and you land in the sea still in your seat, which becomes your dinghy, and has a distress beacon attached.
"That's how they are located. They were in Ninewells Hospital an hour after ditching - that's a textbook rescue, I can tell you."
Fighter squadrons
The RAF Board of Inquiry will meet next week to investigate the accident - pilot error, mechanical or electrical malfunction, fire on board or bird strike are possible causes.
RAF Leuchars is home to three Tornado F3 fighter squadrons which have about 50 jets, equipped with rockets, cannon and missiles.
The men were found shortly before 1830 BST after two lifeboats and two helicopters scoured the area where the F3 went down.
The Sea King helicopters were scrambled from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and from the naval air station at Gannett, near Prestwick in Ayrshire.
The aircraft from RAF Boulmer found the pair and airlifted them to hospital.
-
Source :
BBC - news.bbc.co.uk
at least the crew is save and almost unharmed 
