Jet Provost T.3a XM453 near Ribblehead Viaduct.

On 21st November 1983 an instructor and his student were undertaking a low-level training flight over the Yorkshire Dales as part of a training exercise with the Central Flying School when the aircraft struck several birds. A number of birds were ingested into the engine intakes and damaged the engine. The instructor took over control of the aircraft and began a climbing turn in the direction of their home airfield of Leeming but as the engine lost power it was noticed that the jet pipe heat had risen to over 800'C because of the damage to the engine and resulting engine surge. The instructor ordered his student to eject and he then did the same, the instructor landed heavily and sustained a compression fracture of his back and his student sustained injuries to his right leg. The aircraft crashed on Cam Fell in the Ribblehead area and caught fire on impact.

Instructor Pilot - F/Lt Gerald Owen Riddett BSc RAF (2615982E). Injured.

Pupil Pilot - F/Lt Larry Betts RAF. Injured.

Gerald Riddett had been in the RAF as far back as the late 1960's with the Leeds University Air Squadron. Having sustained back injuries after ejecting from Jet Provost XM453 he recovered and returned to flying. There is an entry relating to him in the London Gazette stating he was made a member of Specialist Aircrew while in the rank of F/Lt on 18th April 1985. After retiring from the RAF in 1989 he went on to become a civilian pilot.