Aviation Nostalgia Thread

[DH106]

A B.A. Viscount had a near miss in the late 1970's, taking off on R15 in poor viz.
Apparently a fire engine on the runway up near the pan area had not heard an ATC message to clear the runway before the Viscount was cleared for take-off. When the fire engine suddenly loomed out of the mist, the Viscount had to rotate early and apparently missed the fire engine (now empty - the firemen had fled!) by an estimated 10 feet.

 

[superking]

Thats why who ever a message was for to read back to make sure they got it. Was no message read back done in them days.

 

[Finger66]

I was in the snooker club that night when the news broke. Put me off my game for the rest of the night.

So you mean your game went to pot! Remember BBAI, WING, OEAA and AZLT but not sure much else. Quite scary when you think back

 

[scottrhino]

There was a German registered Cessna, from memory, that crashed on to the grass about 20 years ago, towards the end of 14. It was parked at Northair for some considerable time before been flown out after repair.

Going back to the late 80’s, and it might have been mentioned earlier there was a King Air that crashed into the chevin. At the time you could actually visit the crash site, not that you’d get near these days. Dense fog the usual hazard at LBA

 

[Crashgate]

That was quite a night I remember with 3 incidents due to the weather, firstly the BMA had landed bursting quite a few tyres which caused the aircraft to be grounded until the next day, then the Cessna ended up in the grass between Alpha and Bravo with the evening rounded off by a Capital Airlines SD3-60 running off the end of 28 into the mud just missing the approach lights for 10.
https://assets.publishing.service.g...1314000b55/Cessna_404_Titan__D-ICCF_06-89.pdf

The Cessna was repaired and flown out to America.

Another day, another incident was G-OADS which caused the runway to be blocked, not ideal when Concorde was due in soon after on one of its many visits
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ff34e5274a1317000a27/Cessna_401__G-OADS_06-89.pdf


The King Air was G-MDJI.
https://assets.publishing.service.g...ration_B_200_Super_King_Air__G-MDJI_01-88.pdf

 

[Bigman]

So you mean your game went to pot! Remember BBAI, WING, OEAA and AZLT but not sure much else. Quite scary when you think back

Certainly went to pot after that. Needed a few extra jars to console me.

 

[White Heather]

There was that light aircraft a few years ago with a student pilot that ran off the runway and hit the ILS antenna. No idea what it was or the year, but within the last 10 years I think.

 

[twevsmiff]

There was that light aircraft a few years ago with a student pilot that ran off the runway and hit the ILS antenna. No idea what it was or the year, but within the last 10 years I think.

That was one of the Multiflight Robins G-MFLC

 

[twevsmiff]

There was a light twin, operated by Northair Aviation on contract to the UN that crashed at Carlton. Prob early eighties.

That was a Cessna 414 G-BOAZ which was due to fly to Pakistan the next day for operations by the UN. Happened in 1980

The first accident I recall at the airport is British Midland DC-3 G-ANTD in 1965. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway(32) into the excavations was the extension. It was sat on a pile of earth for a couple of days/

In 1968 I vividly remember Aztec G-ASTE of Northair crashing in Yeadon Cemetery killing 2 people. It was a foggy night and I was at the airport.

 

[White Heather]

That was a Cessna 414 G-BOAZ which was due to fly to Pakistan the next day for operations by the UN. Happened in 1980

The first accident I recall at the airport is British Midland DC-3 G-ANTD in 1965. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway(32) into the excavations was the extension. It was sat on a pile of earth for a couple of days/

In 1968 I vividly remember Aztec G-ASTE of Northair crashing in Yeadon Cemetery killing 2 people. It was a foggy night and I was at the airport.

In 1965 it was runway 33. There wasn't an extension - the runway only opened that year, newly built. Seems odd using it before fully finished.
Or did the DC3 land on 28 and run off into the ongoing works to build 15/33?

 

[twevsmiff]

In 1965 it was runway 33. There wasn't an extension - the runway only opened that year, newly built. Seems odd using it before fully finished.
Or did the DC3 land on 28 and run off into the ongoing works to build 15/33?

Yes sorry, old age creeping up on me.

 

[White Heather]

Yes sorry, old age creeping up on me.

I know the feeling well.

 

[twevsmiff]

Runway excursion Accident Douglas Dakota IV (DC-3) G-ANTD, Wednesday 17 February 1965

The aircraft departed Derby Aerodrome at 08:10 GMT for a scheduled passenger service to Glasgow, via Leeds/Bradford Airport. During the flight to Leeds/Bradford, the crew received the 07:...

aviation-safety.net

Just found this report on the incident and the aircraft did in fact land on 33 ))))))

 

[DH106]

That report seems to suggest that R33/15 was originally built to 3650ft rather than the 5400ft that it was pre-the 1980's extension?

 

[fossil]

No, just a shorter length pre completion in '65. May I share a memory?
I have a vivid recollection of seeing the great Leeds Utd team sitting in the upstairs bar area of the old terminal in the early 70s. They seemed to have had an exclusive contract with Lingus for all their European matches, usually 1-11s. Who can ever forget the crackling of those spey engines, as it departed empty to Dublin around 11 at night. The noise seemed to reverberate for ages, no doubt annoying the antis down Scotland Lane way. Well, on this particular occasion, the team were not heading abroad, unusually they had a domestic charter flight. I have visions of the players being somewhat taken aback, because instead of the usual jet they probably expected, they had a venerable DC3 of Kestrel Aws! Their flight was to the grass airfield at Ipswich (since closed), so perhaps a 1-11 was not advisable.

 

[White Heather]

It seems then that runway 15/33 was opened in stages with work ongoing at the Yeadon end to take it as far as Victoria Avenue. Perhaps at the time it actually ended at the intersection with runway 28. I doubt that would be allowed these days.

It's also somewhat odd that a newly built concrete runway didn't provide the DC3 with the braking capability due to aquaplaning, suggesting also that perhaps the grooving if the concrete sections wasn't done until later.

 

[fossil]

Now now, anyone who has lived up there, knows what the wx can be like. One such day, it was pouring down, with low cloud base and standing water, typical LBA. The only way in, as there was no ILS on 15 was down the slope onto 33. Few could hack it, bar a RAF C130, his final wind check was 150 at 30 knots!

 

[White Heather]

Now now, anyone who has lived up there, knows what the wx can be like. One such day, it was pouring down, with low cloud base and standing water, typical LBA. The only way in, as there was no ILS on 15 was down the slope onto 33. Few could hack it, bar a RAF C130, his final wind check was 150 at 30 knots!

Back then though the touch down point on 33 wasn't on a slope. It was on the flat section towards the Horsforth end. It didn't move to where it is now until the runway was extended in 1984. With a new runway surface there ought to have been enough grip and length for a DC3 to stop on a wet runway, The fact there was so much standing water does suggest that perhaps it hadn't been grooved at that stage and that this was carried out subsequently when the entire runway length was completed.

 

[superking]

I know the feeling well.

The picture of you does not say what you say

 

[DH106]

I don't know if 'near misses' were recorded back in the 70's but I have a vivid recollection as a teenager from sometime in the mid to late 70's.

I was in the outdoor viewing area which used to be to the right of the terminal - good viewing through the barred fence there. An Air Anglia Friendship was departing on R33 and it rotated and became airbourne at the usual point, but when the gear went up the pilot seemed to keep the nose down rather than climbing - like he was doing a low pass at an airshow. I wondered for a second if there was something wrong with the F-27 as it passed in front of me and then over the checkered fence and the Harrogate Road at barely, perhaps 100 feet or less. Then I saw the Cessna at maybe a couple of hundred feet higher, crossing over the R15 approach lights from left to right - and the F-27 flew right under this Cessna on it's climb out..

My more recent analysis of this memory is that possibly the Cessna was in the R28 circuit and mistakingly turned right instead of left after taking off, forcing the F-27 pilot to fly under him (safer than trying to climb over as the Cessna could be kept in sight).

Memories!