I very clearly remember the crash of ‘Sewn 12’ (F-111E 68-0024/UH), which happened on the morning of 11th January 1973. I was in school assembly at Robert Bruce Middle School in Kempston, on the western outskirts of Bedford, about 5 miles tops by road from Cranfield (close to where the ‘Vark came down). Maybe it was because I had a passion for aircraft from a young age, but I distinctly remember hearing a loud (and getting louder) rumble coming from my right, then an almighty roar as the aircraft passed overhead. I instinctively looked round to my left and up through the top tier of windows in the Assembly Hall – loads of the other kids (and probably some of the teachers) were ‘heading south’ and curling up on the floor – and there they were: two F-111s, the one on the left very clearly on fire at the back end and with masses of thick black smoke pouring out behind it; the other flying close as wingman.
Because it was between 9-10am on a January morning, the skies were still quite dark and murky, which meant the orange ball of fire on ‘Sewn 12’ and the red lights on both aircraft glowed brightly in the murk. In fact, it’s the glowing lights on ‘Sewn 11’ that are the most vivid visual memory I have of the incident – that and the fact that they were so very low. I knew that RAE Bedford (Thurleigh) was nearby, but also knew that they were flying in the opposite direction to it (heading roughly west). The aircraft came down 2.5 miles from Cranfield, and to get there would have taken them less than a minute - perhaps significantly less than that – after passing over my school. That night, on the local news programmes, it was reported that the crew had ejected and survived, which was the best news to hear.
Below is the transcript of most of an article that appeared in the July 1992 issue of Aircraft Illustrated concerning the latter stages of the incident (the June ’92 issue had the first part of the story, but I don’t have that one), including radio transmissions from both aircraft; I hope it is of interest:
‘The time is 09:37 hrs on the cloudy morning of 11 January 1973. Above the skies of Oxfordshire, the flying crew of F-111E 68-024 (‘Sewn 12’) are struggling to keep their ‘Aardvark’ in the air after a fire had engulfed the port engine and caused extensive damage. They are being assisted over the radio by their wingman (‘Sewn 11’) and from approach control (APC) and the Supervisor of Flying (SOF). The aircrew of ‘Sewn 12’ have just tried to lower the arresting hook (unsuccessfully) and are about to test how the aircraft handles at around 10 Alpha. Standard recoveries are usually conducted at 10 Alpha on an AoA indicator. Power is then applied just prior to touchdown to kill the dramatic carrier-style no-flare touchdown, which typically is effected at around 140kts with the wings locked fully forward at 16deg with flaps and slats deployed. In this instance, however, a higher speed was necessary to compensate for the single engine and crash landing configuration. The ‘tail dragger’ refers to the retractable bumper located just forward of the arresting hook, which deploys along with the landing gear.
Time: 09:37:19
SOF 11, SOF. We want you to make sure and get a check on the conditions of the nose gear when he extends it. It may be in cockpit-sideways position, over.
Sewn 12 Say again. What didn’t come down?
Sewn 11 The arresting hook! It may come down by and by … I think it’s moved a little bit now.
Sewn 12 Okay. Sewn 11 advises it might be down.
SOF Roger.
Time: 09:38
Sewn 12 Does it look like it’s enough to get past the tail dragger and then catch the wire?
Sewn 11 Yeah. It’s moving a little bit, I think. Standby on that, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Time: 09:39:20
Sewn 12 We’re ten Alpha. How’s that look?
Sewn 11 The hook’s down about a foot and a half.
Time: 09:40
SOF 12, SOF. Have you put the gear down yet please? As soon as you attempt the gear, an immediate report on that nose gear.
Sewn 12 Roger. We’re 38 miles, will attempt it now. We should be able to get it down. We’ve got 5,000lb of fuel.
SOF You can hold off longer if you like but we just want a report as soon as you get it down please.
Sewn 11 We’ve got the base bearing, 249 at 44.
Sewn 12 Roger.
Time: 09:41
SOF Sewn 12, SOF. What’s your flap configuration please?
Sewn 12 Roger. We have full flap. The slats are down and we’re at 170kts and we tried to get ten Alphas in effect and it felt fairly good. Don said it looked good.
SOF Roger. Understand, and the GD Technical Representative advises that differential breaking and full roll control should provide directional control on the runway.
Sewn 12 Roger. Loud and clear.
SOF Thank you. Recommend you bring the flaps up to about 15deg until you get back closer to the field. You can reconfigure to conserve more fuel.
Time: 09:42
Sewn 12 Roger. Our fuel state is about 4,200lb right now.
SOF Roger, copied. Sewn 12, SOF.
Time: 09:43
Sewn 12 Go ahead, 12 here.
SOF Roger 12. Be advised that we want you to make the approach at 170kts, that’s well within the limits of the approach and engagement. Over.
Sewn 12 Understand, 170kts.
Sewn 11 There’s a problem: the hook is still not down and they may not be able to get an engagement.
SOF Roger. WE understand that, 11.
Sewn 12 What do you recommend if we do not get the engagement? Just try to roll out, or go around?
Time: 09:44
APC Sewn 11. Upper Heyford Approach. Altimeter is 3041. Say altitude?
Sewn 11 Roger. We’re at 5,000ft, 3041, and could you give me the winds at Heyford.
APC Sewn 11, roger. Upper Heyford winds 130deg at 16; visibility 5 miles with haze; sky conditions 8/8th stratocumulus at 2200.
Sewn 11 Roger.
SOF Sewn 12, SOF. Confirm shoulder harness locked.
Sewn 12 That is affirmed, locked.
APC Sewn 11, Upper Heyford latest winds 120deg at 8.
Time: 09:45
Sewn 11 Roger. 120 at 8. And we’re 30 miles out; we’ll be descending below this overcast, and we’d like, uh, a straight-in GCA to [Runway] two-seven … negative, we’ll make a straight-in TACAN/ILS so we can keep the frequency open for talking.
APC Sewn 11, Roger, you’re cleared. High altitude TACAN/ILS approach to Runway 27. Upper Heyford, altimeter 3041.
APC Sewn 11. Be advised the localizer is out at this time.
Sewn 12 Roger. I’m requesting GCA come-up on this frequency for glide scope control monitor.
APC We’re set for 09 – Active runway 09.
SOF Be advised, SOF. We’ll be able to give you a surveillance approach only.
Sewn 11 Ahhhh, roger.
Time: 09:46
Sewn 12 SOF, this is 12. Do you have any ideas on the wing sweep? I have got about 18deg right now. Bringing the wings back seems to make the controllability worse.
SOF Roger, leave then right where they are. Bring ’em all the way forward if you like 12 … ahh, be advised, leave wings right where they are if that’s where the controllability is best.
Sewn 12 11? (What do you think, Don?)
Sewn 11 You might find it a trifle sensitive in pitch that way, but it wouldn’t be a big problem.
Sewn 12 Roger, I’m going to try the gear now.
That was the almost fatal moment of the emergency. As soon as the gear unfolded from its compartments, Maj Kroos felt the aircraft slipping out of his hands. He immediately initiated ‘gear-up’ in a last-ditch effort to regain control, but the aircraft entered into a queasy, sickening roll. Bob Kroos’s ‘Wizzo’ Capt Beck tugged at the tiger-striped capsule ejection lever next to his left knee, setting off the shielded mild detonating cord which severed the ejectable capsule from the stricken aircraft. A rocket plume, billowing from under the module, followed them eerily skyward into the thick of the cloud base.
Time: 09:47
Sewn 11 They got a capsule. They punched out. The capsule came out, and he went into the clouds. I don’t see a ’chute. Did you copy that SOF?
SOF Say again please.
Sewn 11 They lowered the gear and ejected. The plane went out of control. He ejected. I saw the rocket motor running. I saw the drogue ’chute come out, stabilisation ’chute. Copy?
SOF Roger, copy.
Time: 09:48
SOF GCA got a fix on him. Sewn 11, SOF. What do you need?
Sewn 11 I want to get down below this weather and see if I can get a visual on him.
SOF Roger, you’re under surveillance. Go ahead and start a gradual descent, and I’ll tell GCA to monitor.
Time: 09:40:10
APC Sewn 11, this is Upper Heyford approach.
Sewn 11 Go ahead Upper Heyford.
APC Sewn 11, are you squawking 77?
Sewn 11 That’s affirmative.
APC Sewn 11, roger. Would you like to come in at this time? Sewn 11, they have confirmed his position.
Sewn 11 Did he get a good ’chute?
APC Sewn 11, he crashed two-and-a-half miles north of Cranfield. At visual sighting, and services are on the way.
Sewn 11 Did you copy a beeper?
Time: 09:50
APC Sewn 11. That is affirmative. Parachutes were in sight.
Sewn 11 **** Hot!!
Bob Kroos and Roger Beck made a good descent in their capsule, landing 80ft away from a farmhouse at Hurst End, 24nm ENE of RAF Upper Heyford. The bewildered resident rushed out with a bottle of brandy and offered it to the dazed crew who, still suffering from shock, gladly accepted – and in the process precluded the USAF of the opportunity to conduct its mandatory blood-alcohol test! The two men were whisked away by rescue chopper for medical examination and a thorough debrief, which exonerated both airmen. The remains of the aircraft lay strewn across a road just outside North Crawley, Bucks.
Immediately following the crash, and the removal of the remains for a thorough post-mortem, Upper Heyford’s fleet of 75 aircraft underwent rigorous inspection of their control systems and engines. It was subsequently discovered that no fewer than seven aircraft on base possessed loose ‘B’ nuts in the fuel sensing lines, any one of which could have resulted in a similar loss with possibly tragic consequences. Time Compliance Technical Order 1F-111-1009 was subsequently issued, stipulating that all ‘Aardvarks’ ‘B’ nuts be torqued to the correct setting and fixed in place with Lock-Tite superglue.’
So the moral of this tale with a happy ending is clear: before you go flying, make sure you’ve tightened your nuts and smeared then with superglue. You know it makes sense!
1 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
2 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
3 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
4 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
5 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
6 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
7 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
8 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
9 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
10 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
11 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
12 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
13 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
14 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
15 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
16 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
17 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
18 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
19 by Pave Flight, on Flickr
Thanks so much for posting. 
) but I think that 'frame is 'The Chief', an UH 'E' model with '5000 hrs' on it 
