ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 143819
Last updated: 18 May 2013
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| Date: | 08-SEP-1970 |
| Time: | 10:00 local |
| Type: |  English Electric Lightning F6 |
| Operator: | 5 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | XS894 |
| C/n / msn: | 95240 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | North Sea, 5 miles N of Flamborough Head, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire |
XS894; C/N 95240 ff R.P. Beamont 18-3-66 Samlesbury. To 5 Squadron, 3-1-67. Crashed into sea 5 miles north of Flamborough Head, 8-9-70. Pilot, Major William Schaffer (USAF), killed. Hours flown 650h 45m
Royal Navy divers located the Lightning on the seabed two months later, damaged but otherwise intact. The cockpit was empty. Captain Schaffner was never found, presumed lost at sea. The jet was raised shortly after and returned to RAF Binbrook for investigation, which some consider slightly unusual because incidents of this nature tended to be examined by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch at Farnborough Airport. UFOlogists cite this apparent discrepancy as a core part of “the conspiracy”, which now begins to permeate the story.
To add fuel to the "conspiracy theory", the official report of the crash, held by the National Archives at Kew, Surrey, is a restricted document, that is "closed" to researchers until Jan 1st 2030
Sources:
http://www.ufodigest.com/news/1206/binbrook.html
http://www.lightning.org.uk/histf6.html
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=8880566&j=1
http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2011/01/mysterious-disappearance-lightning-xs894/
http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2000/ufo/ufo.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Feb-2012 17:34 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Mar-2012 21:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 25-Sep-2012 02:36 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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