Date:	Tuesday 3 April 1951
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker P.1081
Owner/operator:	RAE Farnborough
Registration:	VX279
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ringmer, 3 miles east of Lewes, East Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire (EGLF)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Hawker P.1081 jet prototype VX279 crashed at Ringmer, 3 miles east of Lewes, East Sussex on 3.4.1951. The aircraft was making a high speed run when some sort of emergency occurred. The pilot released the cockpit canopy at about 9,000 feet and ejected from the aircraft at about 2,000 feet.

The non-automatic seat began to spin rapidly and the pilot, Squadron Leader Trevor Sidney "Wimpey" Wade (Chief Test Pilot, Hawker Aircraft Ltd) was unable to release himself from it. He was killed when the seat struck the ground. Examination showed that the seat had fired successfully but had rotated at high speed (end over end - 2.3 revolutions per second) probably rendering Wade unconscious. It was calculated that the aircraft was travelling at Mach 0.987. The sequence of events following Wade's loss of control of the aircraft were as follows:

1) The hood disintegrated at 9000 feet after possibly being jettisoned by Wade.
2) Wade's helmet and goggles were stripped from his head by the airflow at around 8500 feet.
3) Wade's oxygen mask followed at 6000 feet.
4) Wade ejected at approximately 2000 feet after a partial recovery from a near-vertical dive.

Here is a newspaper account of the Coroner's Inquest (Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 11 May 1951):

"Cause Of Ringmer Plane Crash Still A Mystery
A THEORY that Squadron-Leader Trevor Sidney Wade (31), who fell to his death from a jet plane on April 3, may have been knocked unconscious by a blow on the head as he was ejected from the plane, and so was unable to release his parachutes, was advanced by the East Sussex Coroner (Dr. A. C. Summerville) when the inquest was resumed at Lewes on Friday.

Returning verdict of "Accidental death," the the Jury said: "We would like to pay our tribute to a gentleman who unfortunately gave his life so tragically."

At the outset the Coroner recalled to the Jury that the evidence of Dr. James showed that death was due to multiple injuries. The injuries included a deep bruise of the scalp, which, it was suggested, had preceded the other injuries.

TERRIFIC ROAR
Charles Salvage, an electrician, of 1, Priory-street, Lewes, who was working at Clayhill House, and Arthur Charles Beech, slaughterhouse manager of Bishop’s-lane, Ringmer, both told how they heard a roar, almost like the sound of thunder, and saw a dark object fall from the plane as it flew on to crash a few moments later.

Police-Sergeant Hunt described how he saw the wreckage of the fuselage about 100 yards north of Norlington-lane, and later, with a search party, saw the body. The contents of the pockets were removed. Answering Mr. C. A. Battersby, who watched the proceedings for the Hawker Aircraft Co., witness said he did not see a watch anywhere among Wade's possessions.

P.C. George Denman told how he found the body in a coppice about a half-a-mlle from the smashed plane. The pilot's seat was slightly embedded in the earth, but its fall had been broken by branches. There were two sets of parachute harness, both locked. He unfastened the straps.

AIRCRAFT INSPECTED
Edward Morton, senior inspector of the Ministry of Supply, produced a certificate which he had signed after inspecting the aircraft on April 3.

Frederick Kent Sutton, an aeronautical engineer employed by the Hawker Aircraft Company, said he lunched with Wade on the day of the crash, and afterwards spoke to him as he sat in the cockpit with the engine running. Wade appeared satisfied after checking everything and was his usual cheerful self.

James Herbert Lett, investigations officer of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, described how the pilot's seat was ejected from the aircraft by means of an explosive charge operated by the pilot pulling a roller blind over his face. The mechanism appeared have operated normally. The seat was found 850 yards from the main wreckage, and parts of the canopy were 1,700 yards away. He estimated the plane was about 2,500 feet high when the pilot was ejected. An examination of the wreckage failed reveal any mechanical defect failure.

Questioned about the noise resembling thunder which had been heard, witness said this could be caused by a sudden change of altitude of an aircraft travelling at high speed.
The Coroner —Could there have been an explosion in the plane at that moment ?— There was certainly no evidence of an explosion in the wreckage.

Summing up, the Coroner said Wade was the chief test pilot for the Hawker Aircraft Co., and was a pilot of great experience. There was no suggestion of negligence on his part or on the part of the company. The post mortem findings suggest that Wade had found something wrong and had operated the ejector mechanism. This functioned normally, but Wade had failed to operate the release mechanism on the parachute straps - possibly as he had received a blow on the head - whether from the perspex roof or not would never be known - and was unconscious. It was impossible to come to any conclusion as to what had happened to the plane to cause the pilot to leave it."

Squadron Leader Trevor Sidney "Wimpey" Wade, DFC, AFC was the Chief Test Pilot of Hawker Aviation Ltd. He had been a pilot in No. 92 Squadron, RAF during the Battle of Britain.
R.I.P.

1. Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 11 May 1951
2. http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1951.htm#apr
3. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/.au/2a86.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_P.1081
5. http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Trempe/2042.htm
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 54/589 Construction of modified Hawker E38/46 (Hawker P1081): technical policy 1949-1952: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3114747
7. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 6/16904 Accident: Hawker aircraft P1081 VX279, crashed after diving 1951: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4027225
8. National Archives (PRO KLew) File AVIA 5/31/S2520: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578366
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=2273.0
10. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=208
11. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wade.htm
12. https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/heritage/hawker-p1081
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringmer

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
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