incident involving two Tornado GR4 aircraft in the Moray Firth area

[BIGNEWY]

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/RafTornadoIncident.htm

 

"3 Jul 12

The RAF is aware of an incident in the Moray Firth area involving two Tornado GR4 aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth.

 

 

We are investigating the incident, and further information will be provided when possible."

[Jona33]

Two pilots rescued. Two still missing.

 

(The BBC saying the GR4 has seen 40 years of service. Grrr.)

[BIGNEWY]

hope the second crew is found safe

[Rusty_M]

I find it strange and surprising that two should go down together.

 

In any case, I hope they find the remaining crew.

[Jona33]

I find it strange and surprising that two should go down together.

 

In any case, I hope they find the remaining crew.

 

Presumably a collison. Only speculation though.

[159th_Viper]

Aye - the haar has been really bad up here of late. Thoughts and Prayers with the involved.

[BIGNEWY]

MoD confirm two Tornado crew still unaccounted for after crash in Moray Firth. Full statement....

 

Group Captain Ian Gale, Station Commander RAF Lossiemouth, has made the following statement:

 

“It is with great regret that I must confirm the loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, from this station, in an incident in the Moray Firth today. The circumstances remain uncertain but clearly this is a very serious incident.

 

“This incident involved four aircrew – all personnel from this station – and the thoughts of everyone here are with the families and friends of those involved. As I’m sure you will understand, this is an evolving situation and, as such, I am not prepared to comment at this time on their condition or speculate on the circumstances surrounding this incident. However, I can confirm that two individuals have been recovered and two remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations are continuing and I would like to record my gratitude for the ongoing efforts of all those involved.

 

“I am confident that the Tornado aircraft on this station are operated as safely as they possibly can be – however, today’s incident is a stark reminder that the military operations and training we conduct are not without risk. What happened today is under investigation and more details will be released by the Royal Air Force in due course. Until then, I would ask the media to respect that this is a difficult time for the family, friends and colleagues of those involved and for the whole of the RAF Lossiemouth community.”

[Dejjvid]

Two pilots rescued. Two still missing.

 

(The BBC saying the GR4 has seen 40 years of service. Grrr.)

 

Yea, Swedish news apparently quoted BBC then because they said the same thing..

It's like saying the Su-35 is from the 70's.

 

Edit: Damn iPad..

 

I really hope they find the other two pilots alive.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Dejjvid

[Daze]

It has got to be a midair collision? Really strange for both of them to come down at the same time to say engine failure, that'd be 4 failing at the same time.

 

I really hope the other pilot and nav get found alive, although as time goes on the chances become smaller.

[Jona33]

It has got to be a midair collision? Really strange for both of them to come down at the same time to say engine failure, that'd be 4 failing at the same time.

 

I really hope the other pilot and nav get found alive, although as time goes on the chances become smaller.

 

I'm doubtful now, two rescued sounds like one crew got out and one didn't. :(

[joey45]

If first link is not working

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18692532

try this ^^^

[Daze]

DM (don't judge me) now saying they collided

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168221/Two-aircrew-rescued-helicopter-missing-pair-Tornado-jets-crash-Moray-Firth.html

 

The conditions were foggy, perhaps they clipped wings while in formation?

[Cowboy10uk]

Latest.

 

 

 

Two aircrew are missing after the Tornado jets crashed off the coast of Scotland.

 

Tornado Crew Missing After Crash

 

Rescue teams will resume the search later for two RAF airmen who went missing after a pair of Tornado jets crashed off the north coast of Scotland.

 

Four personnel from RAF Lossiemouth were involved in the incident, in which the Tornado GR4s came down in the Moray Firth on Tuesday.

 

A rescue helicopter picked up two people who were taken to hospital in Inverness.

 

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the search for the remaining airmen had been suspended at around 7.30pm last night.

 

Aberdeen coastguard contacted the RNLI for assistance at about 1.50pm after reports that the jets came down about 25 miles south of Wick.

 

About 15 lifeboat volunteers joined the rescue operation in boats from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie, the RNLI said.

 

The boats headed for the Beatrice oil field area, supported by a helicopter from Stornoway in the Western Isles.

 

Crew from the Buckie boat reported that two people were taken from the sea by helicopter and flown to Raigmore Hospital, although their condition is not known.

A Tornado GR4 jet similar to those that crashed

Group Captain Ian Gale, the station commander, said his thoughts were with the families and friends of those involved.

"It is with great regret that I must confirm the loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, from this station, in an incident in the Moray Firth today," he said in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

 

"The circumstances remain uncertain but clearly this is a very serious incident.

 

"This incident involved four aircrew, all personnel from this station, and the thoughts of everyone here are with the families and friend of those involved."

 

He would not comment on the aircrew's condition or the circumstances of the incident.

 

He added: "I am confident that the Tornado aircraft on this station are operated as safely as they possibly can be - however, today's incident is a stark reminder that the military operations and training we conduct are not without risk.

 

"What happened today is under investigation and more details will be released by the Royal Air Force in due course.

 

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is clearly a very serious incident and my thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected."

 

Tornado aircraft have been involved in crashes in Scotland in recent years.

In January last year two RAF crew were rescued after their Tornado GR4 jet came down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland.

 

The crew, from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected from the plane before it landed in the waters at Loch Ewe, near Gairloch, Wester Ross.

 

RAF Lossiemouth, on the Moray Firth coast, is home to three squadrons of Tornado GR4s.

 

The Tornado GR4 is a two-seat attack aircraft, capable of delivering a variety of weapons and reaching a maximum altitude of 50,000ft (15,240m).

 

In July 2009 an RAF pilot and navigator were killed when their Tornado jet crashed into a hillside in Argyll.

 

Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Thompson, 27, and Flight Lieutenant Nigel Morton, 43, died in the crash near the village of Arrochar.

 

The aircraft was a RAF Leuchars-based Tornado F3 on a routine flight.

 

Sadly not looking good for at least 2 of the aircrew, A long time to survive in the water.

 

Cowboy10uk

[G00dnight]

whats the big deal with the 40 years, if I remember it first flew about 1973/4, so its close enough, of course these would have been newer, probably..

[Daze]

One of the chaps rescued yesterday has died, sadly. RIP. :(

 

http://news.sky.com/story/955782/tornado-crash-rescued-raf-airman-dies

[BIGNEWY]

R.I.P :(

 

Update

 

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/UpdatedRafTornadoIncident.htm

 

The RAF has confirmed that one crew member has died and two remain unaccounted for following an incident in the Moray Firth area involving two Tornado GR4 aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth on Tuesday.

 

 

Ministry of Defence

Group Captain Ian Gale, Station Commander of RAF Lossiemouth, has made the following statement:

 

"Following the incident involving two of our Tornado GR4 aircraft in the Moray Firth yesterday, it is with great sadness that I must confirm the death of one of the crew members, an officer from 15 (Reserve) Squadron, based here at RAF Lossiemouth.

 

"A second crew member remains under medical care, where he is in a serious but stable condition.

 

"Two additional personnel remain unaccounted for. Due to extremely poor weather conditions in the area, the RAF and Her Majesty's Coastguard have made a joint decision not to resume search and rescue operations.

 

"The operation will be resumed as a recovery operation as soon as possible, but we must be realistic: given the length of time that has elapsed since the accident, there is no expectation of recovering missing personnel alive.

 

"The Royal Air Force is in contact with the next of kin of all those involved. As I am sure you will understand, they have asked for a period of time to take in the news and inform extended family members before further details are released. The Royal Air Force intend to respect this and I would ask the media to do likewise.

 

"Clearly, this incident will be subject to full investigation, and a Service Inquiry will be led by the Military Aviation Authority. It is important that we establish the facts of what happened and it is vital that the investigation is allowed to take its course. But the priority now is to ensure that the families of those involved receive the support they need at this most difficult of times."

[Jona33]

whats the big deal with the 40 years, if I remember it first flew about 1973/4, so its close enough, of course these would have been newer, probably..

 

OCD, the GR1 was the first variant, the gr4's more recent.

 

Terrible news about three of the guys. :( RIP.

[BIGNEWY]

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/RafPersonnelInvolvedInTornadoIncidentNamed.htm

 

3 R.A.F Lost named by M.O.D

 

Squadron Leader Samuel Bailey

Flight Lieutenant Hywel Poole

Flight Lieutenant Adam Sanders

 

all of XV (Reserve) Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth

 

R.I.P

[VBS_Nero]

R.I.P

[Pikey]

Weather was really really horrible that day. :(

[Pyroflash]

Terrible news, absolutely terrible.

[topol-m]

Weather was really really horrible that day. :(

 

Shouldn't be much of a problem for an all-weather attack aircraft, but let's see what the results of the investigation will come to show as reasons for the crashes.

[159th_Viper]

Shouldn't be much of a problem for an all-weather attack aircraft.......

 

Was zero-visibility conditions due to fog.

[topol-m]

Was zero-visibility conditions due to fog.

 

Instrument flight training must be standard procedure and should cover situations like that.

[159th_Viper]

That's why it's called an accident.