XM600 Vulcan Crash Splisby ?

[Vulcan74]

Hello All

Does anyone remember the Vulcan Crash in Splisby in 1977 involving XM600, I heard it was going to divert to RAF Coningsby and a phantom was having a look for damage around the Vulcan before the crew abandoned it.

[Nighthawke]

It was Spilsby (probable typo on your part but just to clarify). No personal knowledge but this may help a bit and there are also further links at the bottom of the page. Hope of use to you.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=55311

[Vulcan74]

Thanks for the reply I remember watching the local news at the time about the accident.

[mikecc99]

Evening....in addition to Nighthawke`s helpful link.........I was a young newspaper reporter on the Lincolnshire Standard in 1977 and went to the crash site shortly after it happened. Apart from covering it for the local papers, I also sent the details to the nationals and provided the words to go with film shot by my cameraman friend Bob Whitaker for `Look North`. There was little to see that late winter afternoon - the aircraft disintegrated when it crashed and the mist gradually thickened into fog. Spilsby was very lucky that day. No one was hurt on the ground. All five crew got out. A Phantom crew did indeed come up behind for a visual check and confirmed the worst. Captain ordered everyone out then tried to guide the Vulcan back towards the sea but lost control at 3000 feet and ejected. The first person he met on the ground after parachuting down was someone he knew - a retired AEO! His old friend brought the pilot into his house to make him a brew and let him use his telephone to ring Waddington.
I have researched and written up the story from my journalistic/aircraft enthusiast perspective in my book `Deadlines` Chapter 2 (see www.deadlines101.com).

[Thor]

The location was a field diagonally opposite the pub in Halton Holegate if my memory serves me correctly. My neighbour was stationed at Coningsby at the time and was roped in for guard duty.