Supermarine Attacker WP293 crash, RNAS Ford 1953

[John]

A letter from the Admiralty to the wife of a pilot who died when his Supermarine Attacker crashed during a familiarisation flight.

Madam

With reference to your enquiry about the death of your husband, I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform you that a report of the accident has now been received.

2. On the 21st July, 1953, Lieutenant Commander Smith took off in an Attacker aircraft to carry out a first familiarisation flight. He was airborne at 10.31 a.m. and contacted the control room by wireless. Five minutes later an attempt was made to reach your husband by radio but no reply was received. A further call was made a minute later but still there was no reply.

3. At 10.46 a.m. a message was received that an aircraft had crashed: it proved to be your husband's Attacker.

4. Eye witnesses stated that they saw an aircraft appear from the clouds at about 6.000 feet, flying in a fast shallow dive and inverted. It appeared to loop or half roll to the normal position but still continued its descent at a lower speed. Then the aircraft pulled up into a loop, half rolled out of this and dived into the ground.

5. Investigations revealed that a major hydraulic leak had developed, causing fluid to pour into the cockpit. This probably made your husband lose full control of his Attacker and would account for the irregular manoeuvres of the aircraft. The reason for the defect has not been ascertained, but the aircraft was fully tested before the flight and found serviceable.

6. My Lords desire me to convey to you their sympathy in the tragic loss of your husband.

[mmitch]

This was unusually a 'tail dragger' jet fighter.
One displayed at Yeovilton.
http://www.fleetairarm.com/en-GB/exhibit/Vickers_Supermarine_Attacker_F1/3_5_36.aspx
mmitch.

[John]

To paraphrase the Board of Inquiry into the accident that caused the loss of the Supermarine Attacker and the death of the pilot, here are the two likely scenarios.

Theory one, considered the most probable. A hydraulic pipe by the left knee split and released fluid at 2000 psi directly into the pilot's eyes - he would most likely have been on oxygen and so unaffected by annoxia, but he would probably not be wearing goggles. Blinded, he jettisoned the hood and prepared for ejection but was relying on 'feel' to get the Attacker the right way up, unfortunately hitting the ground before he could do so. An incident of this nature had already occurred when Lt. Cdr. Kearsley, the CO of 800 Squadron, had received a squirt in his eyes when landing an Attacker but had managed to clear his vision.

Theory two, the hydraulic leak occurred in the engine bay, passing a mixture of hydraulic fluid and air into the compressor of the engine. As pressure is taken from this compressor to pressurise the cockpit, the fluid may have been introduced into the cockpit in this way - the pressurisation pipes were around the base of the windscreen with small holes drilled in them. This theory was only considered valid if the pilot had selected 'cockpit pressure', unlikely at low altitude but possible because many pilots inflated the canopy seal to make the cockpit quieter.