The 1974 Norfolk mid-air collision happened on 9 August 1974 at Fordham Fen, Norfolk, England when a Royal Air Force McDonnell-Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2 of No. 41 Squadron RAF (41 Sqn) collided with a Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee crop spraying aircraft. All three aviators were killed: the pilot and navigator of the Phantom and the pilot of the Pawnee. The Phantom pilot was a Royal Air Force Group Captain and station commander of RAF Coningsby. It was the first collision between a civil aircraft and a military fast jet in the United Kingdom low flying military training system.

Aircraft

The Pawnee registered G-ASVX was a single-engined single-seat crop spraying aircraft built in 1974. The Phantom serial number XV493 was a twin-engined two-seat, all-weather military strike/interceptor aircraft.

Background

The RAF pilot, David Robert Kidgell Blucke, was born on 28 November 1931, and attended Malvern College. He joined the RAF in 1950, and had been on exchanges in Canada, flying the F-101. Around 1966 he had commanded 11 Sqn of Lightnings at RAF Leuchars. In the July 1969 Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, he had led the flypast of Lightnings. His wife was Heather, with two sons Charles and Robert, 11. He married Heather Marcia Grimwade, of Hadleigh, Suffolk, at St Mary's Church, Kersey on Saturday 14 November 1959. Heather was a nurse at King's College Hospital. He was promoted to Group Captain in January 1972 and moved to Coningsby in August 1972. The RAF navigator, Terence Wesley Kirkland, was the son of Mr George Kirkland of Newlyn Terrace in Waterside, Derry; his son had attended Clooney Primary School and Foyle College. The Northern Irish navigator had been involved in the scout movement, when growing up, attending the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece, in August 1963. He was in the 4th Londonderry Group, becoming a Queens Scout.

Accident

The Pawnee had departed earlier on 9 August 1974 from Southend Airport to a disused airfield at Broomhill, near Downham Market in Norfolk. Broomhill was used as a temporary base to refuel the aircraft and to load pesticide. At about 14:04 the aircraft had finished spraying a field 10.5 km south of Broomhill and was returning to replenish the pesticide hopper. The sprayer was of ADS Aerials of Southend, with pilot Paul Hickmott, aged 24. He had taken off from Bexwell airfield, taking off at 2:30pm, due to land at 3:10pm. The Phantom departed RAF Coningsby at 13:51 to fly a low-level navigation and reconnaissance flight at no lower than 76 m above ground level. The Phantom was following a standard low-flying route; the Pawnee pilot was aware that military low-flying routes were in the area but the exact routing was classified and not released by the military. About 14:08 about 1 km west of the village of Hilgay, and at an estimated height of around 91 m the Phantom, flying at a speed of about 420 kn, struck the Pawnee on its right side. The Pawnee disintegrated, while the Phantom, on fire and shedding parts of its structure, continued on its heading for a further 1 km before it hit the ground inverted. All three aviators were killed: the pilot and navigator of the Phantom and the pilot of the Pawnee. All flying was stopped at Coningsby for the day. The RAF pilot and navigator were buried on Thursday 15 August 1974 at St Michael's church in Coningsby. Also attending was local MP Peter Tapsell and the Band of RAF Cranwell, and representatives from the USAF, the RAF pilot's father (Air Vice-Marshal Robert Blucke, who flew the Handley Page Heyford to test the possibility of radar in February 1935 at Stowe Nine Churches) and mother, and station commanders from other Lincolnshire RAF bases. The service was given by Rev James Day, with the chaplain of RAF Coningsby, Squadron Leader Gareth Williams. Alan Musker became the acting station commander.

Investigation

Both aircraft were found to have been maintained correctly and were legally authorized for the flights. Farmwork Services, who had chartered the Pawnee, had informed the local police authority about their proposed operation and type of chemical to be used. Nothing in the regulations required them to inform the military although Farmwork Services had, as usual, informed nearby RAF Marham (an operational airfield about 14 km from the accident) that they would be spraying an extensive area of Norfolk between June and August 1974. Investigation of the wreckage failed to determine if either had a working anti-collision light and it was only possible to determine the height of the accident by the use of eyewitness accounts. The collision occurred in good visibility at an estimated height above ground level of 91 m. The investigation could find no evidence to suggest that either of the pilots had a medical problem or that either aircraft had any defect that would have contributed to the accident. The rules of the air state that the Pawnee should have given way to the Phantom which was closing from the right. But it was accepted that at a closing speed of about 400 kn the time needed by the Pawnee pilot to assess the situation and execute a manoeuvre was minimal. It was also a requirement of the Phantom pilot to make sure that he did not collide with the Pawnee but clearly in this accident the lack of time was an element. Also the military aircraft had only just turned on to the heading and with the Pawnee 15° to his left the view may well have been obstructed by the Phantom's canopy frame. While it accepted the need for the Royal Air Force to practice low level high-speed flying, the investigation report was concerned about the lack of information on the military low-flying route available to civil pilots, particularly those involved with crop spraying, pipeline, and powerline inspection.

Cause

The investigation determined "The accident occurred because neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time to avoid collision. The 'see and be seen' principle was inadequate for preventing collision in the circumstances that existed. A significant feature which contributed to the accident was the absence of any system for co-ordinating military and civil low flying activities in the low flying areas and link routes."

Recommendations

The accident report made seven recommendations: