letsavagoo 964 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Having a bit of a disagreement with my wife and son. They say the pilot died and I say he's still alive. Can someone settle this please. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 The pilot as far as I know is STILL ALIVE. He was seriously injured but I have heard nothing further Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trickymicky 57 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 It was mentioned on the telly yesterday that he had been transferred to another hospital. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Andy Hill is still alive. I do hope he survives but how he is going to live with himself that although he could not prevent it, 20 lives ended when his plane crashed. He is going to need a lot of help, and so are the families. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 Knowing what happened may be wholly dependent upon his survival. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Was in the R A F Club yesterday but no one seemed to know what injuries/burns he has,and why he has been moved ( hospitals). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 964 Posted September 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Having watched the footage I find it difficult to believe that he is alive but it seems that he is. Not often I win an argument with my missus but seems I was correct. Thanks for the confirmation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Possibly ejected before impact? Too low for a chute? Air Accident Investigation Branch will find the cause. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 The Hunter's ejector-seat is not a zero-zero type, and he would have been killed if he had used it. There is no doubt that he came out of the loop at too low an altitude, for whatever reason; but he did make it. However, as he levelled out the aircraft suddenly dipped and flew into the ground. It then skimmed the ground at high speed rupturing the external fuel tanks beneath the outer portions of the wings. He was still in the enclosed cockpit and travelling faster than the fireball either side of him; hence he survived, but he did not survive the extremely high shock of hitting the ground. I am thinking that his main injuries will be spinal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chulla,as this subject concerns the pilot only and as I do not have a proper keyboard I am unable to write in full about the pilot and plane,but maybe you would like to further comment about the hunter and its 6 main parts/ sections in relation to the crash and pilot survival. Of much interest is the recent sale for under 65000 pounds,and the required service. This aircraft had an interesting history since 1955. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 So scary. That pilot has the same name as my youngest son. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 Stan, I cannot add anymore to what I said above. I have seen the film of the aircraft as it came out of the loop and then saw it unexplainably dip - it being too low to recover. The fact that the pilot was pulled from the cockpit alive shows that he had been protected during the time the aircraft slid along the ground. I have not seen any picture of the wreckage post fire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 Would there be a black box in such an aircraft? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 No, Mick, but I think the answers will be forthcoming because there is so much video footage of the aircraft from the beginning of its manoeuvre right up to the impact. One thing the ordinary person does not realise is that when an aircraft undertakes a loop, the aircraft does not scribe a perfect circle, ending up at the height it started at. As the aircraft come out of the loop it is also descending vertically as well as radially due to its weight. Many a display pilot has come to grief when there wasn't enough space left to come out of the loop. Why this happened in this case we do not know; yet. Perhaps the external fuel tanks were full and this provided the weight that increased the diameter of the loop. Perhaps it was something beyond the pilot's control. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 I have seen some aircraft in full stall and that is what appears to have happened on the photo before the crash, where the engine is clearly giving thrust. No use if the aircraft has stalled. The aircraft was equipped with a Martin Baker ejection seat with both overhead and underseat triggers. There are a lot of explosives in that seat. The people who got AH out need medals the size of dustbin lids as they could have easily been killed by the seat going off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 For those interested : AAIB 3/2015 Special Bulletin has just been issued and makes very interesting reading .The report is dated 04 /09/ 2015. (Available on line through search engines) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Of interest it seems the canopy was released and pilot and ejector seat were thrown clear on impact. It is not clear if the pilot was thrown clear or attempted to eject. No detail was given about the second ejector seat.. Hope this helps . Stan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 Any Hill to be released from Hospital and questioned by police. Initial reports Indicate he was too low at start of loop. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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