Work in progress

               Aerobatic Teams

Red Arrows
 Losses and Ejections

List being compiled - more to add
 
Date Air Force A'cft Unit - Serial

based

 crashed crew photo seat
16th December 1969
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR992 Red Arrow
CFS		 aircraft abandoned after erroneous call that engine was on fire - fire warning was given to XR995. Cirencester, Gloucestershire Fl Lt Dickie Duckett ordered to eject - minor injuries Folland
16th December 1969
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR995 Red Arrow
CFS		 Engine Fire aircraft abandoned following report of engine fire. Kemble, Gloucestershire Fl Lt Jack Rust ejected - minor injuries Folland
13th November 1970
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR994 Red Arrow
CFS		 Engine failure during aerobatics practice - Red Arrows RAF Kemble Sqn Ldr Dennis Hazell ejected OK Folland
20th January 1971
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR986 Red Arrow
CFS		 Mid-Air Collision between synchro pair. Wings clipped  during an opposition manoeuvre `Roulette'   no ejection
Flight Lieutenant Euan Perreaux  killed  Flight Lieutenant John Lewis killed no ejection
20th January 1971
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR545 Red Arrow
CFS		   no ejection
Flight Lieutenant John Haddock killed Flight Lieutenant Colin Armstrong killed no ejection
03-Mar-78
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XR981 Red Arrow
CFS		 RAF Kemble. Red Arrows - Struck ground whilst practising aerobatics   no ejection
Pilot Flt. Lt. Stephen Edward Noble - killed Wg. Cdr. Dennis George Hazell AFC - killed no ejection
XR981 happened during pre-season practice, specifically while the team were practicing roll-backs at low altitude. The aircraft ended up inverted and neither occupant left the aircraft. One seat fired, but I can’t remember which, but couldn’t go anywhere. Steve Noble survived initially but died later that day.
22nd May 1979
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 XP539
 		 CFS Fuel blockage caused engine problems and aircraft abandoned. RAF Leeming, Yorks Wing Commander Ernie Jones ejected OK Folland
     
FEEDBACK XP539 actually belonged to the Red Arrows, but was a  reserve ship not fitted with smoke. It was flown by , our CO, Wing Commander Ernie Jones, who was the only person on board, and was visiting Training Command HQ. The accident was due to asymmetric fuelling of the aircraft – when one side ran out of fuel the flow proportioner, which equalised usage from both sides, cut the fuel flow off from the other side. Lots of red faces.
Date ???
RAF		 Folland Gnat T1 ???       no ejection - landed aircraft
pilot Flt Lt Dudley Carvell Cpl Ginger Whelan ejected through the canopy from the back seat when he thought  control of aircraft had been lost. "No-one was hurt and we had the aircraft flying again the next week" Folland
17th  May 1980
RAF		 CFS
Red Arrows 		Crashed into the sea off Brighton after colliding with a yacht's mast which had ignored a sailing ban during the display
Squadron Leader Steve R. JOHNSON ejected at mast height		  Martin-Baker Mk.10
Hawk T.1 XX262
21st March 1984
RAF		 Hawk T.1 XX251  CFS
Red Arrows
 RAF Akrotiri Cyprus  		Hit the ground during display practice at Akrotiri, Cyprus

The impact forced the ejection seat through the canopy and deployed the chute dragging the pilot out

 Flight Lieutenant Chris Hurst Inadvertent ejection   Martin-Baker
31st August 1984
RAF		 Hawk T.1 XX257
Red Arrows

Suffered failure of a rotor blade in the low pressure

compressor while taking part in a display -top of the 'Vixen' loop over Sidmouth, Devon

 

 Flt. Lt. P.D. Lees flew the aircraft out to sea where he ejected Martin-Baker
3rd November 1986
RAF		 Hawk T1A XX297 CFS
Red Arrows
 RAF Scampton 		Engine
surged and cut after the aircraft flew into the jet wash of the leading aircraft. Unable to relight the engine During a display practice at Scampton, Lincs		 Flt. Lt. Dan Findlay Martin-Baker
16th November 1987
RAF		 Hawk T.1 XX241  4 FTS [on loan] This was the  first "Red Arrows" Hawk crash where two of the planes had a wing tip collision which caused them to plunge to the ground in the village of Welton near Lincoln
five miles east of Scampton, Lincs. during practice aerobatics		 Sqn Ldr Tim Miller ejected Martin-Baker
16th November 1987
RAF		 Hawk T.1A XX259 Red Arrows Flt. Lt. M. J. "Spike"  Newbury ejected Martin-Baker
24th June 1988
RAF		 Hawk T.1
of the Red Arrows		 XX304
Red Arrows
RAF Scampton		   crashed on take-off  at about 140 knots from RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire.
 		 Sqn. Ldr. Pete J. Collins
deputy leader, ejected suffered back and facial injuries		 Martin-Baker
10th September 2003
RAF		     Red Arrows veered off the runway at Jersey Airport    
pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jez Griggs not injured engineer Corporal Harry Harrison not injured no ejections
                 

RED ARROWS (1965 – Current)

 

PILOT(S)                    AIRCRAFT     DATE              LOCATION                 CIRCUMSTANCE

 

 1) FLt J Bowler (K)              Gnat                        26 Mar 69               RAF Kemble                         Flew into trees/ground

                                                XR573                                                                                                    during practice.

 

2) Unknown                          Gnat                        13 Jun 69                RAF Fairford                         Undershot runway

XP501                                                                                                     following hydraulic failure.

                                                                                                                                                               

3) FLt D. Duckett (U)           Gnat                        16 Dec 69               RAF Kemble                         Ejected by mistake during practice.

XR992                                                                                                    Pilot thought his aircraft was on fire.  Ejected OK, minor injuries.

 

    FLt J. Rust (U)                  Gnat                        16 Dec 69               RAF Kemble                         Engine fire during practice. 

                                                XR995                                                                                                    Ejected OK, minor injuries.

 

4) SqLdr D Hazell (I)            Gnat                        13 Nov 70              RAF Kemble                         Engine failure during practice.

        (RED 1)         XR994                                                                                                    Ejected but was injured.

 

5) FLt C Armstrong (K)       Gnat                        20 Jan 71                RAF Kemble                         Midair with XR986

    FLt E Perreaux (K)            XR545                                                                                                    during practice.

        (RED 6)

 

    FLt J Lewis (K)                 Gnat                        20 Jan 71                RAF Kemble                         Midair with XR545

    FLt J Haddock (K)            XR986                                                                                                    during practice.

        (RED 7)

 

6) Unknown                          Gnat                        13 Dec 71               RAF Upper Heyford            Crashed on approach to

                                                XR567                                                                                                    landing.

 

7) Unknown                          Gnat                        16 Feb 76               RAF Kemble                         Hit cables and made emergency

                                                XP531                                                                                                     landing.  Aircraft written-off.

 

8) FLt D Corvell (U)             Gnat                            Jun 76                 RAF Kemble                         Back crew ejected

    Sgt G Whelan (U)             XR987                                                                                                    during check flight.

 

9) SqLdr R Duckett (U)        Gnat       24 Jun 76                RAF Kemble                         Wheel brake failure

        (RED 1)         XS111                                                                                                     during landing.

 

10)FLt S Noble (K)               Gnat                        03 Mar 78               RAF Kemble                         Flaps retracted in

    WCmdr D Hazell (K)        XR981                                                                                                    error during Vic

        (RED 4)                                                                                                                                          rollback practice.

 

11)WCdr E. Jones (U)          Gnat                        22 May 79              RAF Leeming                        Ejected after fuel blockage.

      CFS CO                            XP539

 

12)FLt S Johnson (U)          Hawk T.1               17 May 80              Brighton,UK                         Hit yacht mast

        (RED 7)         XX262                                                                                                    during display.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected OK.

 

13)FLt M DeCourcier(U)     Hawk T.1               21 Apr 83               Culachy,                                Wirestrike during

    Sgt P Inman (I)                  XX227                                    Scotland                                cross country, only

        (RED 6)                                                                                                                                          back crew ejected OK.

 

14)FLt C Hurst (I)                 Hawk T.1               21 Mar 84               Akrotiri,                                 Flew into ground

        (RED 7)         XX251                                    Cyprus                                   during opposition

                                                                                                                                                loop during practice.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected, injured.

 

15)FLt P Lees (U)                 Hawk T.1               31 Aug 84              Sidmouth,UK                        Engine failure

        (RED 8)         XX257                                                                                                    during display.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected OK.

 

16)FLt D Findlay (U)            Hawk T.1               03 Nov 86              RAF Scampton                     Engine surge during

        (RED 7)         XX297                                                                                                    practice.  Ejected OK. 

 

17)SqLdr T Miller (I)            Hawk T.1               16 Nov 87              RAF Scampton                     Midair with XX259

        (RED 1)         XX241                                                                                                    during practice.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected, injured.

 

   FLt S Newbery (I)              Hawk T.1               16 Nov 87              RAF Scampton                     Midair with XX241

        (RED 2)         XX259                                                                                                    during practice.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected, injured.

 

18)FLt N MacLachlan(K)    Hawk T.1               22 Jan 88                 RAF Scampton                    Flew into ground

        (RED 8)          XX243                                                                                                    Vic rollback practice.

                                                                                                                 

19)SqLdr P Collins (I)          Hawk T.1A            24 Jun 88                RAF Scampton                     Retracted gear too

        (RED 4)         XX304                                                                                                    soon on take off

                                                                                                                                                during practice.

                                                                                                                                                                Ejected OK.

 

20)FLt R. Edwards (U)         Hawk T.1A            17 Oct 98                RAF Cranwell                       Landed short after

     (RED 2)                             XX252                                                                                                    practice.  Ejected OK.


 

Acknowledgements

 

FEEDBACK

 

I was senior engineer with the Red Arrows from 1974-79 and I can add a bit to the Gnat accidents over that period.

 

I was also at RAF Valley from 1965-67. In the midair collision, which occurred during formation practice the solo student’s aircraft decelerated into the one behind containing a student and instructor. Of these two, the guy in the front seat was not able to eject but the back seat pilot did. The solo student in the other aircraft unaccountably attempted a wheels-up landing back at Valley, much too fast. The aircraft started to roll on the ground and he ejected – but horizontally so did not survive.

 

see 22nd april 1965 -

XS108 Gnat T1 4ftsVALLEY Flg. Off.  Gavin Darrell Priest killed in collision with XR950

 

XR950 GNAT T1 - CARMEL SOUTH OF CAERNARVON

FLIGHT LT. TIMOTHY FRANCIS HAUGHTON MERMEGAN KILLED

 

What is bizarre with hindsight is that at the time these accidents seemed so routine.
  I was going through your Folland ejection pages and have some additinal
names/details you might want to add.

I was a member of the Red Arrows ground crew for some 10 years (1967 to
1977) and was with the Team for these events.

XR 573    Fl Lt Jerry Bowler - Team 1st loss    - Kemble

XR 992    Fl Lt Dickie Duckett ordered to eject – See XR995

XR 995    Fl Lt Jack Rust ejected at Kemble – Engine Fire.

XR 994    Sqn Ldr Dennis Hazell ejected at Kemble – Engine failure

As to the loss of XR 981, I don't know if there was an attempt at using the
ejection seat - the story I was told that Dennis Hazell was leaving the
country on a posting as an Air Attache and had called in a Kemble on his way
to Heathrow. As a former leader (and succesful ejectee - although he broke
his thigh on ejection), he went for a practice flight with the Team. The
aircraft crashed at Kemble.

in email 24th February 2007_
 

_____Mike,

Another update for you, to fill you in on the background to a loss of a
Gnat:

XP501 was a Red Arrows 'Tinship' - a normal Gnat with no smoke sytem
installed (ie it was able to hold a full fuel load), but painted in Red
Arrows colours. There were, at most, a couple of these aircraft that were
used to fly urgent spares to the Team, etc.

On 13 June 1969, XP501 was kitted out as the CFS Commandant's aircraft, ie
it had 'Star' side panels fitted - to show it was carrying the CFS
Commandant - Air Commodore Ivor Broom.

We had an Senior Aircraftsman (SAC), Robin Williams, who was leaving the
team and emigrating, with his mother, to New Zealand, who had always wanted
to fly in a Red Arrow before he left the RAF.

Now it was usually quite difficult to get a flight with the Team during a
Display Season for someone who was not part of the 'Flying Circus' of the
Teams Groundcrew - as these engineers were required to service the Team
aircraft after a transit flight, to make them quickly available for a
display. By this method we were able to find any defect that required
attention before the support aircraft arrived, and with it the main part of
the Teams Groundcrew, and with the aircraft spares.

So it was decided t