dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 An Embraer Phenom with 4 people aboard crashed at Blackbushe 3 pm this afternoon. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/13523346.VIDEO__Aircraft_crashes_into_car_auction_site/?ref=fbpg Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142 Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 Some footage was on the South Today TV news, here, although no additional information was given. My *guess* at the moment (FWIW) would be that the pilot had serious problems and was unable to reach Farnborough a few miles away (an airport which is dedicated to private jets, whilst I can't remember noticing anything other than prop aircraft as I have driven past Blackbushe). The car auction site adjoins Blackbushe airport, and the runway is only 4380 ft long, so that if the pilot was unable to stop and overran the end of rwy 25 then I can imagine that he might end up amongst the parked cars waiting to be auctioned. On the other hand, the landing distance for that aircraft is given as 2621 ft [ http://www.embraerexecutivejets.com/en-us/jets/phenom-300/pages/performance.aspx ], so....? Here's the Blackbushe chart to illustrate what I mean (the A30 runs along the southern edge of the area depicted, and the car auction site is at the west end of the airfield): http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-75A752CC304A1DA7F1C108E912058C3F/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/Charts/AD/AIRAC/EG_AD_2_EGLK_2-1_en_2015-05-28.pdf But all that is pure speculation (based on a little local knowledge). My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died. B. Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 Any indication if WX was a factor? Minimum landing distance goes out the window if the runway is wet. Did he possibly land downwind? That also increases the landing distance required. I believe that's an un-controlled field so he may have chosen (poorly) his own runway. Or maybe he just screwed the pooch. Sad event. Very sorry for the pilot and pax who were killed in this. It's good no one on the ground was injured. John Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted July 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 I know Blackbushe very well, I used to go Drag Racing down there many years ago. The runway can handle big jets quite easily. For many years there was a DH Comet there that was to be used as a restaurant. It was an ex-Dan Air aircraft that was flown in by Doug Arnold, However the aircraft was later scrapped. http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1176686/ Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted July 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 http://www.british-car-auctions.co.uk/About-Us/Latest-News/24-October-13---BLACKBUSHE-AIRPORT-CELEBRATES-CIVIL-AVIATION-PAST/ Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142 Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 @John I doubt if the weather was a factor. At the time of the crash I was in my garden about four miles away: mostly sunny, the runway would undoubtedly be dry, wind I'd estimate at up to 10 kts from the SW, so rwy 25 wouldn't be downwind. @Alan Thank you for the links: the airfield has certainly had a considerable history, but unfortunately I suspect that your recollections no longer represent the current reality, i.e. since the airfield was sold to British Car Auctions. As Wikipedia notes, the airfield has been "much reduced in size since its heyday" (no doubt when the area to the west was hived off for use only by the car auction business). Also, the area to the south of the A30 is no longer in use by the airfield. No big jets any more, I'm afraid. Cheers, B. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
allardjd 1,853 Posted July 31, 2015 Report Share Posted July 31, 2015 It could as easily have been a hardware problem too - blown tire, for instance, or a brake malfunction. John Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 It would seem that the aircraft was Saudi registered and was carrying 3 members of the Bin Laden family. Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 @John I doubt if the weather was a factor. At the time of the crash I was in my garden about four miles away: mostly sunny, the runway would undoubtedly be dry, wind I'd estimate at up to 10 kts from the SW, so rwy 25 wouldn't be downwind. @Alan Thank you for the links: the airfield has certainly had a considerable history, but unfortunately I suspect that your recollections no longer represent the current reality, i.e. since the airfield was sold to British Car Auctions. As Wikipedia notes, the airfield has been "much reduced in size since its heyday" (no doubt when the area to the west was hived off for use only by the car auction business). Also, the area to the south of the A30 is no longer in use by the airfield. No big jets any more, I'm afraid. Cheers, B. I remember the airfield when it was fully operational. Dad used to deliver aviation tyres for Dunlops into there. It was a lovely airport then. With hindsight it should never have bbeen sold off and instead could have been expanded to provide another big runway as is so frequently mentioned just lately. The A30 alongside would be a perfect link between there and Heathrow! Such a valuable sight squandered, mind you Iguess all the posh nobs in Sunningdale etc would complain! They moan enough about Fairoaks! Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce (a.k.a. brian747) 142 Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 <grin> Clearly your memories of the area are still spot on in certain respects, Alan (notably, when you speak of "...the posh nobs in Sunningdale etc..."). There are a lot of people with a lot of money in this corner of north east Hampshire / Berkshire / Surrey, and they certainly look after their own interests extremely well. My knowledge of the area only goes back to the late 70s when I was posted to RAF Odiham and encountered the posh inhabitants of Odiham "village", who if they had to refer to the RAF Station at all did so disparagingly as "the camp", as though we were all still under canvas or something. However, after leaving the RAF I've been around the poorer parts of the area ever since, so I guess I can't complain too loudly. But the fate that befell Blackbushe is similar to what happened to Farnborough, just a few miles away. Once something of a jewel in the British crown, housing the Royal Aircraft Establishment and hosting the International Air Show (which, thank God, *does* still continue), it too was sold off and is now owned by two Arab brothers under the umbrella of TAG Aviation. It has been developed into an airfield dedicated exclusively to bizjets (up to and including 737 flying hotels), and without the cash you certainly won't get in. Although since Her Majesty's Government and the Royal Family (not to mention pop stars, sports stars, and others) seem to find it extremely convenient to have a private airport so near London where no hoi polloi or paparazzi can see people come and go, I suppose everyone (well, those with money, anyway) will be happy. (See http://www.tagfarnborough.com/ if you need to get a taste of this particular fruit of the Thatcher years). But many in this area, too, still remember both airports — in times that were, one can't feeling, the "good old days". How things change.... Cheers, B. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted August 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 I remember sitting at Farnborough one afternoon when I was having my lunch whilst out delivering bits to the airfield. No airshow on just general traffic. I heard a peculiar yet somehow familiar shriek, from out of the diamonds at the back came a pair of Luftwaffe F104G Starfighters and a Luftwaffe Alpha Jet! Not sure what they'd been doing there but the whole airfield stopped when they took off! That turned out out to be the last time I ever saw a Starfighter! To this day I get goosebumps just thinking about them! Link to post Share on other sites
J G 927 Posted August 1, 2015 Report Share Posted August 1, 2015 It has been confirmed that the aircraft did contain some of Bin-Laden's family. That will keep the conspiracy theories going for the next decade or two. I know Blackbushe very well, I used to go Drag Racing down there many years ago. The runway can handle big jets quite easily. For many years there was a DH Comet there that was to be used as a restaurant. It was an ex-Dan Air aircraft that was flown in by Doug Arnold, However the aircraft was later scrapped. http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1176686/ So Alan, exactly what did you race when you were in drag? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dodgy-alan 1,587 Posted August 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 My mate had a fairly innocent looking Mk1 Ford Escort, It was a street sleeper, on the back of the all white car was the logo saying Project 6, on each door was a flash with the numbers 3100 on it. You may have noticed the wider back wheels carefully recessed and attached to a Jag back axle! However when you opened the bonnet you were staring at a fully race tuned 3.1 litre V6 engine. It had the lot, it had been skimmed and ported, had fuel injection and various other things. I was on the support crew and we used to watch this thing eat Mustangs and Cobras for breakfast! 0-60 in about 2.5 seconds and the standing qtr mile not much more! He originally bought the car for £15 at the auctions. It was an ex police panda car and was originally just a base model for the local plods to bimble around in. Link to post Share on other sites
SEATAC 400 Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Thanks to our intrepid reporter, Dodgy Alan, for another on the spot report! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now