ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 55391
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| Date: | 14-DEC-1976 |
| Time: | 17:00 |
| Type: |  SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 |
| Owner/operator: | 2 Sqn Royal Air Force (2 Sqn RAF) |
| Registration: | XZ102 |
| MSN: | S.103 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | S of Bedburg-Hau, 10 miles NE of Laarbruch -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Laarbruch (EDUL) |
| RAF Laarbruch (EDUL) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The aircraft went into an uncontrolled roll immediately after takeoff, with the pilot (Flt Lt William A . "Bill" Langworthy) struggling to gain altitude in a basically uncontrollable aircraft and to steer it away from inhabited areas. He finally shut down both engines and timed his ejection so that the aircraft was upright when he left it.
The now unpowered aircraft subsequently collided with the ground in a field just south of the town of Bedburg-Hau, with the resulting wreckage ending up in both an adjacent graveyard and the grounds of the local criminal mental hospital (one of the onboard power generators was located over 475m from the impact point). Fortunately, no-one on the ground was injured or killed by the flying debris.
The cause of the crash was determined to be a maintenance error. A Tailplane Powered Feedback Control Unit had not been reconnected at the last major servicing, allowing the control surface to move to and lock at full deflection, precipitating the uncontrolled roll.
This was the second of three ejections by Langworthy, the first being from Jet Provost T3 XM469 on 5 May 1961, and the third being from Jaguar T.2 XX845 on 15 November 1977. Bill was a former member of the CFS Red Pelicans (the RAF Jet Provost Formation Aerobatic Team) and, in In 1966, the Red Arrows, flying Folland Gnats. Retiring as a Sqn Ldr, Bill sadly passed away on 1 January 2006, aged 70. As an acknowledgment of his abilities, he was awarded to Air Force Cross (AFC).
Sources:
1. http://www.shineytwojag.co.uk/
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20170301083329/http://www.targetlock.org.uk:80/jaguar/production_uk.html
3. http://www.twosqnassoc.co.uk/pages/chapters/Jaguar/aircraft/Aircraft2.htm
4. https://sites.google.com/site/raflaarbruch/home/toedliche-abstuerze/laarbruch-abstuerze
5/ http://web.archive.org/web/20160502232545/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/project/Biographies/L/LangworthyBill/LangworthyWA.htm
Images:
Looking back at the crater after last minute ejection from a Jaguar next to Bedburg~Hau hospital
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Oct-2009 11:04 | Anon. | Updated |
| 30-Oct-2009 10:36 | Anon. | Updated |
| 30-Oct-2009 23:45 | Anon. | Updated |
| 04-Jul-2011 13:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2011 08:37 | Anon. | Updated [Country] |
| 19-Jul-2011 01:42 | Anon. | Updated [Country] |
| 11-Apr-2013 14:05 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 04-Jul-2013 22:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 05-May-2014 17:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Country] |
| 30-Dec-2018 17:16 | Anon. | Updated [Source] |
| 03-Feb-2020 08:56 | Anon. | Updated [Photo] |
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