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Folland Midge & Gnat
Losses & Ejections

Still to add and clarify details - Midge ejections, details of
Red Roberts,
HAL Test Pilot Das (?)

All help appreciated

FEEDBACK

Sub:-Ejection history of Folland Gnat

            Ref:- HAL Test Pilot Das - Feed back request

 

 Group Captain. S Das was chief test pilot of HAL,Bangalore. He was promoted to corporate level (non-flying) and was on the verge of assuming office, when he decided to do a test flight.

The flight was in a prototype Marut Mk 1(R), BD-886 (HF-24,designed by Dr.KurtTank) fitted with a clam type canopy on Jan 09 1970. The entire fleet of HF-24s had sliding type hood.  

This was the 32nd production version.

      

The sequence of events of the fatal crash is as follows:-

       1. On T/O after V1 the canopy swung open but remained hinged, virtually like a airbrake. My colleague Mr.C K Chandramohan vouches this, as he was at runway 09 marker '7' on his way back in a jeep after switching on Eureka beacon.

       2. Groupie made a perfect touch down (despite the air brake effect of open hood) with MLG, some 500 feet past the overshoot path. But the NLG landed in a a ditch, telescoping the cockpit and crushing the pilot. There was no fire.

       3. The 'D' cord was out, but ejection sequence was fouled, as the canopy had opened out-of-sequence. He was pulled out from cockpit profusely bleeding.

       4. The cause for inadvertent opening of canopy was not established.

     Gp.Capt. S. Das  is not known to have ejected from a Gnat, at least, not in HAL(1961-1974).

 

The Gnat in which Sqn. Ldr. Jagat Lowe (not Flt. Lt.) crashed, is IE 1200, the sixteenth production version of HAL in Nov. 1961. Violent pitch oscillations preceded the crash. The flight was a drop tank  test flight after which the aircraft is usually accepted.

    Mayampurath  Jayamohan in email 22nd October 2007
Date Air Force A'cft Unit - Serial

based

crashed crew photo seat
31-Jul-56 Folland Gnat Prototype     England Squadron Leader Edward "Ted"  A Tennant ejected 600 ft   Folland
15th October 1958 Folland Gnat Prototype XK767 Folland on loan to A&AEE Loss of control. Crashed Stapleford, Wiltshire Sqn. Ldr. Ernest John Roberts ejected but killed   Folland
24th February 1960
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1069 AATU Pilot Ejected at 12000 ft - Kanpur Flt Lt Padmanabha Ashoka   Folland
19th March 1960
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1070 23 Sqdn Engine failure Pilot ejected near Kanpur Sqn Ldr S Raghavendran   Folland
4th June 1960
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1063 AATU Engine Flame Out Sqn Ldr A Sudhakaran Late Ejection - killed Folland
8th September 1961
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1111     Pilot Ejected   Folland
19th June 1962
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE 1200 ASTE B'lore Sqn Ldr. Jagat Lowe   Folland
 

I refer to the feedback in your site: ejection-history.org.uk relating to Sqn. Ldr. Jagat Lowe by Mayampurath  Jayamohan.  I would like to mail him and learn more about the fatal accident.  The date of the crash should be corrected as 19th June 1962. 

Sanjeev Lowe

 

12th October 1962
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XM696 A&AEE Belly landed at RAF Boscombe Down      
18th  May 1963
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1108         Folland
18th October 1963
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR536 RAF Sealand Engine fire warning. Hit obstruction on runway while landing      
19th April 1964
Finland
Gnat F.Mk.I GN108 FL.35 spin due to fuel blockage Lt. M. T. Kepponnen ejected safely   Folland

27-May-64


RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR949 / 25 4FTS Hood fractured, loss of control. Aircraft flew into Aernig Fawr, near Bala, Merioneth     Folland
    Folland
22-Jul-64
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR978 / 47 4FTS Inverted Spin. Crashed into drained Llyn Celyn reservoir, near Blaenau Ffestiniog     Folland
Pilot ejected OK Instructor ejected  badly injured found on Nynydd Nodol Folland
7th September 1964
Indian A. F.
Gnat IN-162 23 Sqdn TO from Santa Cruz - Pilot Ejected 1600 Hrs     Folland
12th October 1964
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR976 / 44 4FTS Undercarriage failure Hit ground after overshoot Rhosneigr, Anglesey   Folland 4GT1
Flt. Lt. Mike Vickers ejected at 5-600ft approx. 150 kts. I.A.S Lt. Richard Sheridan (RN)
[personal testimony]
[RN]  ejected at 2-300ft approx. 150 kts. I.A.S.
Folland 4GT2
14th January 1965
RAF
Folland Gnat XR568 4FTS
RAF Valley
Engine vibration      
12th April 1965
India A. F.
Gnat Mk.1 E-1204 2 Sqdn Ac overshot runway Flight Lieutenant P. Singh   Folland
9th March 1965
RAF
Folland Gnat XR542 4FTS
RAF Valley
Engine failure, forced landing      
6th April 1965
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR985 4FTS
RAF Valley
Crashed on landing at Vally      
22nd April 1965
RAF
 Gnat T1 XS108 4FTS
RAF Valley
In collision with XR950 Flg. Off. Gavin Darrell Priest killed - ejected along ground on crash landing   Folland
22nd April 1965
RAF
 Folland Gnat T1 XR950 / 27 4FTS
RAF Valley
Mid air collision with XS108. Carmel, south of Caernarvon     Folland

Flt. Lt. Timothy Francis Haughton Mermagan not able to eject - killed

Flight Lieutenant R. C. Tyler ejected

Folland

19th July 1965
RAF
Folland Gnat XR543 4FTS
RAF Valley
Dived into Lake Maelog on approach to Runway 32 Pilot Off. Roger Maxwell Cooper killed    
6th September 1965
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR979 /45 4FTS
RAF Valley
RAF Valley, Angelsey     Folland
    Folland
19th September 1965
Indian A. F.
Gnat   9 Sqdn Shotdown by F-86 near Lahore in combat by Saiful Azam (PAF) Fg Offr Vijay Mayadev ejected became a POW.   Folland
13th September 1965
Indian A. F.
Gnat Mk.1   2 Sqn SD by Flt Lt Yusuf Khan,  F-86 Flt Lt A N  Kale   Folland
13th April 1966
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP507 4FTS
RAF Valley
Crashed into the sea on approach      
Flt. Lt. William "Bill" Edwy Carrad Forse killed Plt. Off. Peter William Stewart killed  
13-May-66
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR539 / 08 4FTS
RAF Valley
Spun into ground. Crashed into ground near Y Cnicht, near Bedgellert, Gwynedd     Folland

Pilot Officer J. M. Enston

??
ejected

 

23-May-66


RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR570 / 22 4FTS
RAF Valley
Hit high tension cables. Near Llyn Celyn, near Mona, Anglesey Plt. Off. Terence Jones ejected OK   Folland
28th September 1966
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XM704 CFS Kemble Crashed on take off      
1st January 1967
Indian A. F.
Gnat   ASTE Srinagar Flt Lt A S Lamba   Folland
1st June 1967
Indian A. F.
Gnat   24 Sqdn Flame out after TO from Kalaikunda Flt Lt P C Prasad   Folland
30th June 1967
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XM707 CFS Abandoned after pitch control failure 2.5m West-North-West of RAF Kemble     Folland

Flight Lieutenant

R. Cope-Lewis ejected 

  Folland
23rd August 1967
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP512 / 12 4FTS Abandoned over sea following hydraulic failure. Rhosneigr, Anglesey

 

  Folland

Pilot Officer  P. S. G.  Adams ejected 3000 ft

Flight Lieutenant G Allin  ejected 3000 ft Folland
FEEDBACK

Gordon Allin from his Gnat 23 Aug 1967.   In being converted from a single seat fighter to a 2-seat trainer the Gnat inherited a fantastically complicated pitch control system. I was the Duty Instructor in the tower at Valley when Gordon Allin was unfortunate enough to have the system run fully nose up in the circuit. I saw the aircraft experience several vertical climbs and subsequent tumbles from a stalled condition. Wisely he and his student ejected. Due to its small size the Gnat could not accommodate the Martin Baker seats used elsewhere in the RAF and used a generally successful seat designed by the aircraft manufacturer Folland. Unfortunately Gordon had previously been flying in early MB seats which, prior to leg restraint, required the aircrew to pull back their ankles onto a stirrup bar on the seat base to prevent leg flail. In the heat of the moment he did this which raised his thigh bones above the seat pad. This was enough to fracture both his thigh bones during the ejection.

 “Oscar “ Wild in email 2007 

26th October 1967
Indian A. F.
Gnat     Eng Flame out during practice dogfight pkt Flt Lt Satwant Singh   Folland
14th December 1967
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP509 4FTS
RAF Valley
Belly landing      
10th February 1968
Finland
Gnat F.Mk.I GN111 FL.46
Luonetjarvi base
 trim failure Pilot ejected safely   Folland
8th June 1968
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR999 / 56 4FTS
RAF Valley
Abandoned over sea off North Wales following jammed controls

 

 

Folland

Flight Lieutenant A. Holyoake

Pilot Officer D. Moss

Folland

14th November 1968
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP510 / 10 4FTS
RAF Valley
Abandoned at night, below 5000 feet
in oscillatory spin induced by violent slipstream. over Irish Sea, Near Nevin, North Wales

 

Folland

Flight Lieutenant R. Keith Piggott
"At ejection, his
dinghy detached; without immersion suit he endured 45-mins. in Irish Sea)."

Flying Officer John Loftus

Folland

26th March 1969
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR 573 Red Arrow
CFS
Flew through trees while  trying to rejoin formation. These initiated the ejection sequence Flight Lieutenant Jerry J. Bowler was ejected killed   no ejection
13th June 1969
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR952 / 31 4FTS
RAF Valley
Loss of control and abandoned in spin nr A5 at Glasfryn. Near Conway, North Wales

Pilot Officer I. Currie

  Folland
13th June 1969
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP501 CFS RAF Fairford Hydraulic failure. Undershot runway      
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
3rd January 1970
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR997 4FTS
RAF Valley
Crashed on take off      
Flt. Lt. Peter Jack Phillips killed Flg. Off. Anthony Trevor Carter killed  
17th  January 1970
Indian A. F.
Gnat IE-1202   ejected safely after malfunctions Flt Lt K De   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
13th December 1971
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR567 CFS
RAF Upper Heyford
Exceeded the flight limits during "beat up"     no ejection
Flt. Lt. David Clem Longden killed Flt. Lt. Richard "Dick" Michael Storr killed no ejection
14th December 1971
Indian A. F.
Gnat E-257 18 Sqdn SD by F-86 Srinagar 0750 Hrs Fg Offr Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon   Folland
14th March 1972
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR948 / 48 4FTS
RAF Valley
Abandoned after engine failure. 3m North East Llanbedr, Wales

 

 

 

Flight Lieutenant N. J. Day

Captain M. E. Trachta

 

21st October 1972 
I
AF
Gnat Mk I E-305 No. 21 Squadron Ran out of gas -engine flamed out Gorakhpur (UP) India Flt Lt George K Naliyan ejected safely near the airfield  with minor injuries

[personal testimony]

  Folland
28th July 1973
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR993 4FTS
RAF Valley
Birdstrike near Lee on Solent - landed - damaged beyond repair      
6th September 1973
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP508 / 21 4FTS
RAF Valley
Loss of power. RAF Valley, Angelsey     Folland
ejected OK ejected OK Folland
12th October 1973
RAF
Folland Gnat XR537 4FTS
RAF Valley
Birdstrike near RAF Leeming - landed - damaged      
3rd September 1975
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XS103 CFS
Leck Germany
Mid air collision with Italian F-104S no casualties. Landed.      
16-Oct-75
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XS106 / 36 4FTS
RAF Valley
Loss of control in spin. 1m North Llanwrst, Wales

Runway ???

 

 

 

Folland
Squadron Leader I. C. Gibbs ejected OK ejected OK Folland
16th February 1976
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP531 / 6 4FTS
RAF Valley
      Folland
ejected OK ejected OK Folland
30th April 1976
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XP536 4FTS
RAF Valley
Mid air collision near Dolgellau, Mid Wales     no ejection
Flt. Lt. Kenneth Graham Ivell killed Flt. Lt. David James Mather killed no ejection
30th April 1976
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR983 4FTS
RAF Valley
    no ejection
Flt. Lt. Ian James Sanford killed Capt. David Keiffer USAF killed no ejection
24th June 1976
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XS111 CFS
RAF Kemble
Brakes failed, undercarriage raised to stop aircraft      
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.
26th April 1978
RAF
Folland Gnat T1 XR544 / 60 4FTS   Folland
Aircraft crashed on approach to RAF Valley, Angelsey

Flight Lieutenant D. Newbury ejected OK

Flight Lieutenant J. A. A. Dobbie ejected OK Folland
FEEDBACK

Just found the details of my dad's ejection in 1978 on your site and thought you would appreciate some pictures.. Six weeks previous to the ejection, he also suffered an engine failure in another Gnat and went through the crash barrier at Mona airfield (Anglesey) at about a
100 knots.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Regards,
Matthew Dobbie
in email 19th December 2007

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.
26th February 1986
Indian A. F.
Ajeet   2 Sqdn Engine Flameout DDK Range Air Cmde T K Sen   Martin-Baker
9th January 1987
Indian A. F.
Ajeet   2 Sqdn DNE Ac Rolling to right on finals -Ejt KKD Fg OffrR Radhish   Martin-Baker
1st March 1988
Indian A. F.
Ajeet   2 Sqdn Engine Flamed out Fg Offr T J A Khan   Martin-Baker
15th April 1989
Indian A. F.
Ajeet   2 Sqdn I NAVY Cr  L  a/c in unpopulated area Got SC Lt Uday Kumar Sondhi   Martin-Baker
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
                 


 

Acknowledgements

Folland ejectees (individual acknowledgements with biographies)

Ivor "the seat" Davies

Jake McLoughlin

Arthur Harrison

David Lockspieser

Dr David Reader

Russ Sawyer

Gabby Hayes

Folland - Hamble

Deeck Collier-Webb

RAF Boscombe Down

IAM - Farnborough

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