WE177 incident at RAF Bruggen

[Davef68]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

Both crew were VSI and I believe one took Holy Orders. No, the problem was not surface wind but low level ejection at high speed. I believe the glissaded down a valley edge, the snow and helmet as you say did the rest.

Aircraft accident in the Pennines area.

[air pig]

The man who died in the North Sea was MALM Dave Bullock, trying to rescue an A10 pilot who had 'banged out' if I remember correctly. RiP.

[Background Noise]

Still think it was earlier than that - this was the one I was thinking of:

ASN Aircraft accident 23-NOV-1979 SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 XX762

[Pontius Navigator]

Davef, I was SIntO/SNavO at the time, not bad recall after 28 years. However at the ball later that year Mrs PN almost knocked the Nav over as he was still not steady on his pins.

[Ivan Rogov]

For anyone like me who was unaware of MALM Bullocks heroic actions -

1980 | 3622 | Flight Archive

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...9kGp8QsSVUdYoA

He was awarded the George Medal and US Airmans Medal.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...2syu8FzSXWsklg

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/331441-sarh-go-9.html
Post 165 - Highlighting the need for a second winch on long range helos.

[Davef68]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

Davef, I was SIntO/SNavO at the time, not bad recall after 28 years. However at the ball later that year Mrs PN almost knocked the Nav over as he was still not steady on his pins.

That pints a picture! I hope my recall is as good in 28 years time!

[Al R]

My most depressing half-tour was at Bruggen in the SSA. As the NATO funded WS3 was being installed, we were busy backloading the gear. When the final item was safely away, word came down that that indeed, really was the final article (I still can't bring myself to say nuclear bomb).

For the first time in 40 years, there was nothing to do. We told the guys in the towers to come down and good old DB requested an authentication for the order which the copper got wrong (first wobbly well and truly downrange by that time I suspect).. so Dez declined to obey.

Japanese stay-behind like, he's probably still up there.

[NutLoose]

I still have difficulty talking about them, gave the one on show at Elvington a halfhearted kick, then had to explain why to a couple of horrified punters next to me...

It was only a few years ago the local press finally figured out and published what we used to do at Bruggen.

[Pontius Navigator]

Here is some additional information:

1. The serial no. of the round in question is quoted as 5168 F4/E and that for another round at Bruggen at the same time is quoted as 5200 F3.No-one has yet been able to explain the significance of these additional letters & numbers after the 4-digit serial number ... … perhaps they refer to the level of modification?

2. Various pressures of the weapon centre-section/capsule are quoted …. it’s not entirely clear whether the figures refer to the ‘capsule’ or to the ‘weapon centre-section’ as the terms seem to be used a little loosely.

3. Reference to pressurizing the ‘capsule’ with dry air as per normal procedure.

4. References to:
- ‘complex interlocking geometric [HE] tile profile’
- ‘live tiles, HE supercharge and RA pit’

5. WE177A ser. no. 5796 is reported to have been removed from service in 1983 as the result of abnormal handling.

[glad rag]

yep some interesting info in that report there PN..