Operation CHIKARA
Spilsby, England
17 January 1977
Spilsby, England
17 January 1977
Vulcan aircraft XM600 (originally delivered September 1963) crashed on 17th January 1977 near Spilsby following an engine (Olympus 301) bay fire.
On 17 January 1977, Vulcan B2 XM600 of 101 Squadron at RAF Waddington crashed near the town of Spilsby in Lincolnshire. The Vulcan was returning to Waddington after an exercise over the North Sea when fire broke out in one of the engines. Fire extinquishers in the engine bays failed to douse the fire. The captain stayed with the aircraft until the last seconds and was credited with saving Spilsby. After the fire started, the three rear crew members baled out through the hatch and the co-pilot ejected. The Vulcan crashed into a field at 3.45pm - only half a mile from the town where it was market day. Lincolnshire police said it was a miracle that no-one on the ground was hurt. Wreckage was scattered over 20 acres. Thick fog enveloped the scene shortly after the crash, hampering early investigations. By coincidence, the captain knew the first person he met after parachuting down. He was walking along a lane when he met a former Vulcan AEO who had retired to the area four years earlier. He took the Vulcan captain to his home where he telephoned Waddington to tell them what had happened. Details from report in Lincolnshire Standard newspaper by reporter Mike Curtis. Verified by MC March 2011.
On 17 January 1977, Vulcan B2 XM600 of 101 Squadron at RAF Waddington crashed near the town of Spilsby in Lincolnshire. The Vulcan was returning to Waddington after an exercise over the North Sea when fire broke out in one of the engines. Fire extinquishers in the engine bays failed to douse the fire. The captain stayed with the aircraft until the last seconds and was credited with saving Spilsby. After the fire started, the three rear crew members baled out through the hatch and the co-pilot ejected. The Vulcan crashed into a field at 3.45pm - only half a mile from the town where it was market day. Lincolnshire police said it was a miracle that no-one on the ground was hurt. Wreckage was scattered over 20 acres. Thick fog enveloped the scene shortly after the crash, hampering early investigations. By coincidence, the captain knew the first person he met after parachuting down. He was walking along a lane when he met a former Vulcan AEO who had retired to the area four years earlier. He took the Vulcan captain to his home where he telephoned Waddington to tell them what had happened. Details from report in Lincolnshire Standard newspaper by reporter Mike Curtis. Verified by MC March 2011.