Jet Provost XN469 on East Moor airfield.
On 22nd June 1970 this aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse for a general handling training flight at 11.38hrs with an instructor and a student
on board. Part of the flight was to include a instructing the pupil what to do should he encounter an engine failure on take off. They descended over
the former East Moor airfield to assess whether the former WW2 airfield would make a suitable landing location should it be required. The instructor
informed the pupil that because of the poor state of the airfield that East Moor should only be used in an absolute emergency and then applied full power and handed control of the aircraft to the pupil who began to climb away. At only 700 feet a number of loud bangs and knocks were heard in the engine, the aircraft had suffered total engine failure and the instructed noticed that speed was quickly reducing. The instructor took back
control and turned the aircraft towards to East Moor which he had just assessed as only a landing be made in a dire emergency. A landing was
made on a very short and rough section of runway that remained clear of obstructions, the aircraft ran off the end of the remaining runway
and onto a ploughed-out section of the former airfield and the undercarriage gave way with the aircraft came to a halt intact. The
crew escaping injury. An investigation found that the engine had suffered a failure of a rotor blade in the first stage compressor.
This was the last RAF aircraft to make a landing at East Moor airfield.
For his action in this incident the instructor was awarded a green commendation and the investigation found that he
"showed a high degree of airmanship during the emergency, and by his exceptional skill, avoided injury to both himself and his student, and
saved his aircraft from the total destruction which might have resulted had they both ejected."
Instuctor Pilot - F/Lt Denis MacMillan Grey RAF (4232227). Uninjured.
Pupil Pilot - F/O Philip A Flint RAF (4287688). Uninjured.
The aircraft on the ground at East Moor (photograph copyright Mr Denis MacMillan Grey).
A photograph of the airfield in 2005 with the crash site marked (photograph Mr Graham Sharpe).
Denis Macmillan Grey was appointed to a permenant commission in the RAF on 22nd May 1964 to the rank of Acting P/O.
He was graded as P/O on 22nd May 1965 and rose to F/O exactly a year later and to F/Lt on 22nd November 1969
and S/Ldr on 1st July 1976. He later left the RAF as a W/Co and now runs MacMillan Grey Associated Ltd.
While at Linton on Ouse he was a member of the Linton Blades Display Team. I thank him for all the information and
photographs he has been kind enough to provide this account, without which it would not be as detailed. He has kindly supplied
these photographs in good faith that the copyright remains with him.
"For his skill and courage displayed on 2nd November 1981, when he successfully recovered his
Jaguar aircraft after it had sustained serious damage from a bird-strike while engaged on a
high-speed low-level formation exercise."
The identity of the aircraft, the location of this incident or unit he was serving with are yet to be learned.
Philip Flint was appointed to a permanent Commission in the RAF as P/O on 28th November 1969
(with seniority from 22nd June 1969). He rose to F/O on the same day as this incident
at East Moor, 22nd June 1970 and then rose to F/Lt on 22nd December 1973. On 2nd November
1981 F/Lt Flint was pilot of a Jaguar aircraft which suffered a bird strike on a training flight.
For his actions in landing the aircraft he was later awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.
On 6th April 1982 the London Gazette printed the following Citation..