Report in 2 TAF Flight Safety Magazine "Flight Comment" for
December 1956
Hunter Major Accident
XE 669 4 DEC
CAT 5. FATAL. Shortly after take-off and whilst in cloud, the
pilot called that his fire warning light was on.
He throttled back and pulled up through cloud the tops of which were 3,000 ft. The No. 2 then observed that there appeared to be about six feet of jet pipe protruding from the end of the fuselage. The
aircraft appeared to lose height and speed steadily and was streaming white smoke. Just before re-entering cloud the
pilot ejected but hit the ground still attached to his seat.
COMMENT : A Court of Inquiry has been convened. We do not usually comment when a Court of Inquiry has not been finalised but in this case we would like to say that the seat did not operate automatically because the protection cap of the barostatic time release unit had jammed due to incorrect fitting. All caps in the Command were checked immediately this was known.
Brian Dunbar believes that the safety plate over the first stage release plunger had been fitted the wrong way round thus preventing the correct operation of the seat. After grounding all
Hunters at Jever, he believes two more were found incorrectly fitted.
[
Click here to read report in 4 Squadron's F540.]
