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BRISTOL BRIGAND – RH 772
On Thursday 8th October 1953, Bristol Brigand service number RH 772, took off from Royal naval Air Station Siskin, just
before midday. Ground staff noticed that there was something wrong, and fire appliances were ordered to follow in the direction the aircraft was flying. Such was their haste that the firemen smashed
through the a locked gate (Gate ‘D’), already kitted up in their fire-proof suits. They did not have far to go, the aircraft crashed to the ground into a potato field approximately 300 yards
from the end of the runway.
The aircraft did not have time to lower its undercarriage, and slid across the field, a hedge just managed to stop the
aircraft from making its way across the Gosport to Fareham (A32) Road, and narrowly missing potato pickers in the process.
The accident occurred seconds into its flight. With the undercarriage up, the tips of the propellers snapped off when the
rotating blades made contact with the ground. A coal lorry on its way towards Fareham, only just managed to avoid hitting the nose of the Brigand which had protruded onto the road. The resulting closure
of the road, caused serious traffic chaos.
The pilot’s quick thinking in turning off the ignition and fuel supply, prevented a fire starting in the downed
plane, the fire crews almost immediately the plane came to a halt, were not needed. Thankfully pupils from Holbrook School located a hundred yards from where the aeroplane came to rest, had not reached
the dinner break, when many of them would have been making their way home past the crash site.
The pilot and passenger of the stricken plane were airlifted from the scene by a naval helicopter a few minutes after the
crash, neither seriously hurt or suffering from minor injuries but obviously in shock. The aircraft was later taken to Fleetlands Aircraft Repair Yard. Obstructions such as bus stop signs, were cut
down to allow the wings to pass, and then re-wielded in place.
Details of aircraft:
Contract No. 12660, aircraft was a tactical Fighter Mark 1, and at the time was being used as a trial installation
aircraft for cold weather modifications made by British Aircraft Corporation.
Amongst other units, the final deployment of the aircraft was taken on strength on the 25th March 1953 by the Aerial
Torpedo Development Unit based at Siskin. The pilot of the aerplane at the time of the crash was Lt. Blood who was uninjured, as was his passenger.
Bristol Brigand RH 722 was assessed as category 3 on 17th December 1953, which was upgraded to
category 5 and the aircraft was broken up for spares.
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