Hunting Jet Provost T. Mk.5A XW426 of No.1 FTS crashed in Dalby Forest near Pickering on the 23rd January 1978

 

Jet Provost T. Mk.5

 

John Hughes Flight Lieutenant Pilot (Inst) Survived
David John Bowring Flight Lieutenant Pilot (u/t) Survived

 

The two crew of XW426 were on a daytime training flight from RAF Linton-on-Ouse near York. While above cloud the pupil pilot began a descending turn. The rate of turn and descent increased to beyond the point that the instructor was comfortable with and took back control of the aircraft but was unable to bring the aircraft back under full control before entering cloud. Shortly after this the instructor made the decision to abandon the aircraft with both men ejecting safely from the aircraft which then went on to dive into the ground near to High Rigg Farm in Dalby Forest to the north of Pickering.

For a fuller account of the incident see Richard Allenby’s Yorkshire Aircraft entry for the crash.

Crash site of Jet Provost XW426 in Dalby Forest, Pickering
The aircraft struck the ground in forestry land, which in the intervening years has been felled. A crater still exists at the crash site and is faintly visible in this photograph.
Crash site of Jet Provost XW426 in Dalby Forest, Pickering
A small amount of wreckage remains at this site, were were shown what had previously been discovered by Richard Allenby in January 2014.
Crash site of Jet Provost T. Mk.5 XW426 in Dalby Forest, Pickering
One of the larger identifiable items at the site is the access panel which is shown in this photo.