Jet Provost T.3 XN469 at East Moor airfield.
On 22nd June 1970 this No.1 Flying Training School 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 it would make a suitable landing location should it be required. The instructor informed the pupil that because of the poor state of the remaining concrete 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).
Pupil Pilot - F/O Philip Andrew Flint RAF (4287688).
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 permanent 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 this Jaguar, 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..
Jet Provost XN469 was built to contract KC/E/031 by Hunting Percival Ltd. at Luton and was awaiting collection on 27th September 1960. On 3rd October 1960 it went to 27 MU at Shawbury and on 8th
November 1960 it was taken on charge by No.1 Flying Training School at Linton on Ouse. A Cat.3R damage assessment was made against it on 19th January 1962 but what caused it is not known. It was repaired on
site and was returned to No.1 F.T.S. charge once servicable. On 23rd June 1970 it suffered engine failure and was force landed on the disused airfield at Eastmoor. Cat.4R damage was the damage assessment.
It must have been taken away by lorry and a repair considered because it took until 14th August 1970 for the damage assessment to be upgraded to Re.Cat.5c. It was then sent to Catterick Fire School on
21st September 1970. Presumably it ended its days being set on fire and used by fire crews to practice on.