XN580, Jet Provost Mk3, crashed on 15 Jun 1964.
The crash happened
when the crops were high which complicated recovery of the wings until
harvest time.
The aircraft was on an air test when it declared an on board
fire. The crew abandoned the aircraft which consequently conducted some
unmanned high-G manoeuvres causing the wings to break off.
The fuselage screamed across RAF Digby camp
and just cleared the roof of Number 2 Hangar which was housing Ground
Radio and Aerial Section. It crashed into the fields just outside the
camp boundary.
A Sam
Armstrong
and another aerial erector were on the hangar roof fixing some aerials
for GRSF at the time of the crash and had to return to their rooms
and change their underwear.
As is the case today, fire cover at Digby was rather limited, so they
and others from Cranwell, Waddington and the local Lincoln civil
fire service attended.
Apparently the total claims against the RAF by the local farmers were
larger than to be expected as the Cranwell and Waddington crews could
see the smoke from
the crash
site but not being familiar with local roads and paths just drove
straight for it across all the fields, through fences etc leaving further
trails of
damage.
Aircraft was XN580.
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