Nimrod MR.2 XV239 at Leeming airfield.
During the evening of Monday, 6th May 1974 the nosewheel of this 120 Squadron aircraft failed to lower on the approach to land at its base of Kinloss. Because Leeming airfield was equipped with foam bed spraying
facilities the crew were ordered to direct to land there. A large scale emergency and engineering response formed prior to landing at Leeming. Prior to landing foam was sprayed on the runway on which it then landed.
The pilot held the nose of the runway for as long as was possible but the nose eventually touched the ground and it slid along for around 600 yards. The thirteen crew escaped injury.
Once it was decided that the aircraft posed little risk to a fire on the ground a recovery team from Kinloss drove down to Leeming to oversee recovery. A flare that was inside the bomb bay had to left inside the aircraft because
it was felt unwise to power up the aircraft to open the doors prior to the Kinloss team arriving. Similarily the aircraft was still carrying fuel and this was left until the arrival of the Kinloss team who arrived the following day.
location and obtaining a crane that was strong enough to lift the aircraft was a problem, the closest was at Coningsby and soon after it left there it had a puncture that delayed the arrival at Leeming considerably. Owing to the
crane delay a less strong one was used and this proved strong enough to lift the nose so that a jack could be placed under it and the nose leg lowered and locked into place. It was then towed off the runway and parked outside
No.2 Hanger. On 11th May 1974 a team began to make the aircraft servicable to allow a single flight from Leeming back to Kinloss, this mainly consisted of sealing damaged sections on the underside of the aircraft with fabric patches. It then left on 12th May 1974
Pilot - F/Lt Maynard.
Crew - Names unknown.