RAF Tornado jet incident over Norfolk

[Royzee617]

RAF Tornado jet incident over Norfolk

A Tornado jet similar to the one involved in today
A Tornado jet similar to the one involved in today's incident over Norfolk.
NICKI WALKER

14 November 2007 17:57

Police, ambulance and military are dealing with a major incident which involved a Tornado aircraft from RAF Marham this afternoon.

The MOD is refusing to release any details of the incident at this stage, but have said the Tornado has landed safely and that no other aircraft has been involved.

The crew flying the aircraft were from BAE Systems, who are contracted to service RAF Tornados.

There is speculation that the incident may involve the navigator ejecting from the aircraft while flying over Norfolk. However at this stage no information has been released.

Three ambulances were sent to Bunkers Hill in Egmere,Walsingham, just before 4pm.

A number of police response vehicles have also been dispatched to the area along with the police helicopter and senior police officers.

Limited information is being released to the media at this stage and all calls are being directed to the MOD.

A spokeswoman for the MOD, said: “We are looking into reports of an incident involving a Tornado aircraft being flown by a BAE Systems crew during an air test in the Norfolk area.

“The Tornado has landed safely at RAF Marham where it is based. No other aircraft was involved in the incident.”

BAE Systems also issued the following statement: “BAE Systems can confirm that an incident has been reported at RAF Marham involving a Tornado aircraft which was being flown by a BAE Systems crew. The aircraft has since landed at RAF Marham. No further details are available at this stage.”

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Hmm interesting. Keep us informed.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

From the BBC website:

A navigator who ejected from an RAF Tornado fighter aircraft over Norfolk has been found dead in a field, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirms.
The aircraft landed later at its RAF Marham base and the ejector seat was found near the Sandringham estate.

The navigator's body was found at South Creake and was pronounced dead at the scene. He is said to have ejected while the aircraft was flying upside down.

The MoD said the aircraft was flown by a civilian crew from BAE Systems.

A tape of the pilot's conversation with controllers has been heard by the BBC. It describes the moment the pilot realised his navigator had ejected from the aircraft. He told controllers he had not seen a parachute.

Rem Merrick, a spokesman from RAF Marham, said: "It is with deep sadness that the MoD has learned that the BAE Systems navigator who was involved in Wednesday's incident has died. Our thoughts are with his family.

"The cause of the incident is under investigation and we will not speculate at this stage.

"The Tornado GR4 landed safely at RAF Marham, where it is based. No other aircraft were involved."

Condolances to the Navigator's family:

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Wow that sucks. Wonder how it happened though.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Much speculation going on, Adler; rather not add to that, but wait until the Board of Inquiry issues its interim findings.

Already been cases of 'both crew OK' posted on the internet, when that patently isn't the case. Dreadful for the families........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah I know what you mean.

Whenever we lost an aircraft or something happened to a crew, we would shut down the phones and internet at our camp in Kosovo or Iraq until the families were notified so that false rumors did not go around.

[CRASHGATE3]

I read the aircraft had been recently serviced....
This happened a few years back when a privately owned Jet Provost went inverted and the passenger's seat slid down the rails through the canopy.
The guy had the presence of mind (and the time ) to manually separate himself from the seat and survive...much to the relief of the pilot (who was his brother )