Duxford: The last flight Of Bf 109 Black 6...12th October, 1997

Messeschmitt Bf 109 G-2 Black 6. Damaged on it`s last planned flight before transfer to the RAF Museum Hendon.
In a crash landing following a display at Duxford’s’ Autumn Air Show.
Pilot, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison, unhurt.
This was the aircraft’s last flight; over 3 1/2 seasons of display it had
amassed some 96 flying hours.
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[@tungstenkid2271]

Quote- "..the Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that Allison had manually operated the cooling system of the Daimler Benz DB605A engine into a level of overheating, and had interpreted the thermostat-controlled release of coolant fluid to be an indicator of imminent engine failure."-unquote. Hmm, perhaps he should have taken a leaf out of legendary pilot Eric 'Winkle' Brown's book who, when he was asked why he never had a serious crash replied- "Because I made sure I was totally familiar with everything about the aircraft systems before I took off".

[@doncarlo5]

well … that‘s why legends set themself apart from self confident non skilled pilots … Brown was a legend, and a humble man … that‘s the difference : skilled and humble

[@seanarooney2008]

@@doncarlo5 Well said!

[@MobileGifte]

My ex co @ HMS FULMAR

[@a41166]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Stephen.C.]

Shame on him. His ego was bigger than his talent.

[@rookie1525]

what a misfortune and what an achievement by the people who got them back into the air and flying. Many thanks to our fair opponents at the time. I live in Kassel, where these machines were manufactured. maybe this one too. I wish you all that you never lose your commitment and above all that we never fight against each other again. We don't deserve that. Best regards

[@thephilpott2194]

Thankyou, and greetings from England. I notice that when Putin threw a tantrum and Ukrainians were fleeing by train, Germans were the first to crowd the platforms, holding up signs saying how many refugees they could provide house room for.

[@tomasinacovell4293]

You're going to have to fight together.

[@rookie1525]

yes, together against this the unspeakable despot in Russia.@@tomasinacovell4293

[@rookie1525]

@@tomasinacovell4293 Yes, unfortunately, against the crazy Putin in Russia. We had such a lovely, peaceful time. Now we have to be vigilant together.

[@ichbins8588]

@@rookie1525 seems like 1941 has been forgotten...what a crazy idea, high time for war mongers

[@kenbaker7630]

Bobby Gibbs, RAAF, found the aircraft in North Africa, flew it there, regarded it as his, and was extremely pissed off when it was pranged.

[@jamesburns2232]

A lot of people who wear pilot wings are one trick ponies. Unfortunately, a lot of those same people are total a$$hats. 🤠

[@androidemulator6952]

Did not know this.. thanks for the update ! ;)

[@22pcirish]

A massive understatement if ever I read one!

[@chrispearl3956]

BG was also not happy when he had to give his 109 to the Brits.. 15:30

[@neilfoster814]

I don't think he was even qualified to fly the 109, he had next to no experience on it, but due to it still being an MOD plane, he pulled rank to get a flight. As mentioned, he had no business being in that plane!

[@tectorama]

Those who put so many hours into restoring the unique aircraft must have been gutted when this happened.

[@jamesburns2232]

They needed to remind the pilot. "You break our airplane, You pay for it!" 🤠

[@malakiblunt]

sadly its all to common , seams no1 qualification for airshow pilot is wreckless / incompetent prick.

[@bigglestheflyboy]

Honestly, Sir John got it all wrong, and frankly should never have been displaying this aircraft. 18 hours is not long enough to have sorted out all the idiosyncracies of the Me 109, which was a known difficult aircraft that killed a lot of young German pilots in training. He should never have been approaching downwind, and he was going far too fast. He had no chance of getting that aircraft down in one piece for these two mistakes alone. He should have gone around and come back and landed into wind and the crash would never have happened. Bottom line..... Never get a "Jet Jockey" to fly a piston engined aircraft with only just 18 hours on type, regardless of what rank he held in the RAF!!

[@simonjamesdean2307]

Ray Hanna was a "jet jockey" and he did okay 😉 Most warbird display pilots had relatively low time on each type back then due to operating costs and time constraints. The aircraft were also hour limited because they needed a fairly major check after 50hrs flying and a complete strip down every 100 hours. That was usually done in the winter months. John Allison was an experienced display pilot with time on many warbird types. I flew with him once - in a Messerschmitt funnily enough - and had no concerns whatsoever.

[@22pcirish]

Sir John. Says it all.

[@barnabychillingworth5164]

I was a child of around 10 years old when this happened. I was busy for most of the display building a Meccano set downstairs in the control tower, I was usually left here as my late father John chillingworth was dealing with aircraft for the old flying machine company (he was the chief jet engineer). I vividly remember walking over to the window as the 109 came to land and then seeing its tail flip up and over. Dad was furious after the crash as he’d wanted to get a group of people over there with a rope to flip the aircraft over and get the pilot out due to fuel potentially leaking down on top of him However was prevented by red tape. Not sure how long it took to get the crane etc there and get the pilot out but it seemed like an eternity. After the crash I’d always go on the hunt for it around duxford seeing if anything had been done with it. I’m pleased its in another museum now and hopefully will one day go and see it again!

[@251hanomag]

This video was from a VHS copy I edited at the time. Along with the news items. The original recordings were on S VHS. So till I find the originals, I don`t know what was happening on the rest of this show

[@2805ALLAN]

I read in the accident report years ago that the pilot asked them not to smash the canopy etc to get him out; he’d turned everything off and was concerned that there be no more damage to the airframe.

[@allanmcelroy9840]

As your father did, I equally hate "red tape"

[@horacesawyer2487]

Barnaby: what did Sir John Allison say caused the crash? He came in very hot, it appeared to me. Fast. Landing long. Did he not have power to make a Go Around? Some malfunction? Or was this simply the often seen pilot error? Going to guess: if my name begins with "Sir" I'm not likely to admit I did anything wrong. Somehow it was the machine's fault, right? : ) Oh well, I should pre-judge or be judgmental. Others may judge my own mishap someday. But it probably won't be in a BF-109. Glad you commented. Reminds me old times with my dad at airshows in the SE US in the 70s. Good days gone by. Was blessed to see and hear many a Warbird, but I don't remember ever seeing one of these. The sound starting up was amazing, and the whine of the supercharger on coming out of the chocks, not to mention to high speed passes. The more i think about it . . . what happened, Sir John? He's probably not with us now.

[@brianperry]

I was fortunate enough to see this aircraft flying at Duxford a year or so before. It was to be the one and only time l ever watched a Bf109 flying with a Benz engine..Now of course there are few original engined 109's flying but back then they were indeed a very rare sight....

[@peterszar]

Heck that turbo or supercharger the aircraft uses sure sounds good. The Spitfire and Mustang are also awesome. Too bad the crash happened, and no serious injuries reported.

[@onebravotango]

Duxford: The Last Flight of Bf 109 Black 6 on 12th October 1997" is a poignant and historically significant event. It's a testament to the dedication of aviation enthusiasts and the importance of preserving our aviation heritage.

[@hariepepels]

Jhkk

[@johndavey72]

I was very fortunate to see this aircraft fly ....obviously against a Mk lX Spitfire ! The 109 aircraft had the same resonance as the Spitfire but the engine had a more noticeable supercharger noise but much quiteter than the Merlin . On reflection...a very fortunate moment .....

[@petersammons1236]

I saw this a/c on another occasion. Unexpectedly. Heard a growling angry snarling roar, looked up and saw 109G. My blood ran cold!

[@TCMontyDibs]

Was there that day , i don't think anyone could believe what was happening such a shame but no one was killed and the aircraft is now complete and in a museum .

[@radiogreenduck]

My wife was a reporter for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and was sent along to the show to report on this aircraft's last flight. Much to many envious onlookers she was invited to sit in the cockpit (she was, at the time, scared of flying and did so reluctantly.) On getting out she gashed her foot on one of the controls and it left a scar. We call it her Messeschmitt war wound. One of the questions she asked the pilot was how do you get out if there was an accident. "Oh you wouldn't" he replied. When it was upside down I gather the pilot was more concerned about the damage to the aircraft in getting him out than anything else! During the show she did what is known as a "two way" with Radio 5 Live about the last flight and they said they'd come back to her later. When they did, she was asked how the flight went, only to tell them it had crashed!

[@kkteutsch6416]

Nice final flight... the pilot almost ruined definitly a rare historical piece - and even at risk of brake his neck...

[@Felix-fy7ki]

So she has a souvenir for lifetime to remember the 109's last flight!

[@greggrace967]

Any self respecting man wouldn't allow his wife to do a "two way"......

[@hawnyfox3411]

@ R.G.D = You said "I gather the pilot was more concerned about the damage to the aircraft in getting him out" With bitter irony, Allison told them, "DON'T CUT ME OUT WITH THAT AXE , YOU'LL DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT" What a dickhead !!!!!!! "Um, LIKE YOU HAVEN'T SMASHED THE PLANE UP ENOUGH ALREADY ?" If it wasn't for him, Allison, panicking like a 12-y/o wetting his knickers, this WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED I wouldn't let him fly a desk

[@TheBearmat]

You don't understand how a semi-monocoque stressed skin structure works. @@hawnyfox3411 . You brave little hero you, you'd have gone around again with fumes in the cockpit? One thing worse than being abusive online is being abusive and looking like a know-nothing.

[@timolustig412]

Pilot error 👎

[@herschelmayo2727]

An oil line on the engine blew. The plane was re-restored and grounded perrmanently.. Allegedly, her original German pilot was offered a chance to fly it. He refused, making the remark that the plane had had enough opportunities to kill him. Should have told anybody all they needed to know.

[@tonyriordan2853]

The story at the time was an overheating engine due to the pilot error, i.e., not opening the cowl flaps!

[@neilcotten2816]

All the information you need is in the accident report. It wasn’t an oil line. As for offering the wartime pilot the chance to fly it that’s not true, it was only flown by a select few RAF pilots

[@drstrangelove4998]

@@neilcotten2816thanks for that correction, people just make stuff up, the oil lines, the Luftwaffe pilot too scared to fly it, what crap.😮

[@juanm9073]

Mi avión favorito de todas las épocas. My favourite plane !😊

[@naoeoquevocepensa7181]

Meu também!

[@gordonmcgregor6431]

18 hours PIC is quite a bit on an aircraft that was limited in its total annual hours flying time. The DB600 series in their later variants had a pretty sophisticated engine management system which included the cooling shutters,prop pitch and boost. The Spitfire and the Mustang were much more hands on and in a display like that need careful manual adjustments to stop overheating or overspeed on the prop. I have a feeling that this was a case of “I’ve done it this way all my life” when unfortunately it might have been better to leave it to the admittedly obscure and quite unique automated systems.

[@peterszar]

So, to you the wind wasn't a factor, hmm, okay Steve Canyon, ha ha

[@hawnyfox3411]

I'd wager those 18 hrs were probably on Spitfires - There's NO WAY he had '18 hrs' on that '109 Allison was like a wrecking ball in a China shop, on steroids Sickening irony is, he told the Camb's Fire crew - "Don't cut me out with an axe, you'll damage the plane" 🤗 Yeah, Right = After you've "concertinaed the fuselage" & almost killed folks on the M.11 - Yeah, right What a clown

[@260bossute]

@@peterszar the guy was a lousy ex military pilot, what more do you want to know.. Look at him pitch the nose up with no power... moron.

[@rubinreiter6351]

Why no go around? Unbelievable. What a fine airplane, fantastic sound.

[@tb100]

I see others commenting that it was a forced landing, so he had some kind of system failure or emergency, making a go-around unlikely. Plus, there is a great risk of flipping the aircraft when opening the throttle at such low speed, due to the massive torque produced by that engine/prop. Many WWII pilots died that way. So I guess the lesser risk was to just roll off the end of the runway and hope for the best.

[@greggrace967]

That's what he was attempting. A go around. The engine was overheated and stopped making power.

[@hawnyfox3411]

@@greggrace967 = = A situation bought about ENTIRELY BY THE PILOT HIMSELF He panicked & flapped & bought this all on by himself - open the gills so as NOT to overheat When it did (spill Glycol), he completely lost his composure (& reasoning) & trashed a perfectly good plane Russ Snadden & his team must've been apoplectic with rage

[@TheBearmat]

Glycol fumes.

[@debsmith7861]

​@@hawnyfox3411precisely. Excellent post. I never saw this sad display until just now. Sickening. Came in too hot off a bank. Much longer, flatter approach needed. Pilot error absolutely.

[@captainaxle438]

Well bloody hell, at least it's not burnt up, just fix it up a bit for the Museum. It don't even have to be airworthy again. Then the old toerag can be ashamed by it

[@AZAce1064]

I'm no pilot but I am wondering why the pilot came in so fast and didn't go around.

[@hawnyfox3411]

Because Allison was a dickhead who panicked & flapped like a rank amateur rookie He must've "noshed some cock" to get promoted over the years to reach A.V.M or whatever it was

[@GilbertdeClare0704]

He panicked and tried to land DOWN wind

[@AZAce1064]

@@GilbertdeClare0704 Ooh, I just thought in my mind that pilots that were certified to fly war birds weren't the type to panic. But I think your rite. We are all humans. The stress of flying that plane in a airshow would be a challenge. It's a beautifully restored aircraft. I am straight up proud American but I love the BF-109 series of fighters👍 They were beautiful like the P-51, Zero, the P-38, the Spitfire, the Mosquito and so many others.

[@GilbertdeClare0704]

@@AZAce1064 😊Totally agree re the stress factor, but from other comments, it seems that the "Air Chief Marshall SIR John Allison" "pulled rank" to fly that beautifully restored Bf-109 that day. In US military, that would be like a Five Star General rocking up and "suggesting" he flies. There is another video where you can hear his condescending attitude to ATC as he starts to panic ? It was clearly Pilot ERROR, quickly hushed up because of his Rank and Knighthood. That beautiful bird paid the price for his arrogance. She will never fly again. In the words of a friend of mine who had restored a 1939 Tiger Moth, "Their souls only really come alive when they are up in the air !".......ps👍👍👍for staying PROUD American. I have relatives in Virginia and several good friends in Kentucky and Arkansas👍👍👍... My dad was on Spitfires during BoB, but I still LOVE the P47, P51 and have done aerobatics in PT17 and AT-6, but LOVE that sleek sharklike look of the Bf-109😊😊😊

[@AZAce1064]

@@GilbertdeClare0704 Thank you, that makes a lot of sense now👍 Have a good one my friend ✌

[@davidcarter6737]

Had never seen this aircraft display before, it was beautiful up until the unfortunate crash. It would seem a bad decision made by a very experienced pilot, who I understand also flew for the Shuttleworth collection. Just wish I hadn't read the comments below and the character assasination by these perfect individuals, whom have never erred. I was always thought that most Brits were modest and classy bunch, but that was in the past I guess.

[@esmenhamaire6398]

No, there's some of us who like to know the facts of a case before pronouncing judgement still around.

[@ravusursi893]

She didn’t want to fly, they should have listened to her! The aircraft is always correct!

[@gerrydepp8164]

Seen it before; cant watch it again - the most evil looking bird in the world being disrespected and unceremoniously put down.

[@marka7831]

I remember reading about it in Fly Past just after it happened

[@patrickh9226]

I don't know all that much about aviation--especially these old warbirds. But it looked to me like the plane didn't want to quit flying. I wondered if the throttle was stuck and he just couldn't make it stall just above touch down. He DID touch down and then the plane got airborne again. It wouldn't quit flying. He seemed to be an experienced pilot. Was it pilot error, or two problems with the aircraft? Doesn't matter. He's okay. The plane got broken.

[@jamesburns2232]

Looked to me like the pilot didn't have much tailwheel airplane experience and didn't keep "happy feet" on the rudders to maintain Bf 109 - Black 6 stabilized on runway centerline.

[@Dokker62]

Bf-109s in general tend to extensively flatten out on the final. German WW II-Ace Erich Hartmann once pointed out on landing they need to be handled like gliders. Just a bit too much speed and altitude makes the runway pretty short hence a tailwind approach is an absolute no-no on a Bf-109. This pilot screwed up pretty much everything beginning by mishandling the engine in flight to cause an overheating situation followed by an overhasty landing attempt while the engine still worked properly.

[@rectalvapor2234]

For whatever reason (tailwind, stress, or a combination of the two) he came in too fast and ran(!) out of runway, plain and simple. The plane kept 'floating' and my guess is that when realizing this he forced the wheels to the ground using the elevator, hoping that the momentary friction would slow the plane down enough to settle on the ground after a bounce or two. It turned out, however, to involve a bounce too many.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Sadly they had an fried-egg pilot, who should not have been near an a/c

[@scottmurphy650]

That was perhaps the Bf-109's greatest flaw, the narrow track landing gear. It made takeoffs and landings, especially, difficult. Many Bf-109's were lost in accidents.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

What being flown by an incompetent idiot?

[@daniel_dgr]

Maybe install an electric Starter ?

[@luke5134]

At least the engine is the right way up now!

[@bobwilson758]

Little fast on the landing there bub …. He got into it with the spitfire and - just call me ring rod !

[@GuitarMan22]

Where is the plane now?

[@251hanomag]

RAF Museum, Cosford

[@doncarlo5]

it was pilot error … so basically another one that has proven that the Me 109 was not easy to fly and land … it‘s not a coincidence that some 11.000 of the 35.000 built Me 109 crashed at landing …

[@coltur68066]

Put like with tears. She wasn't going to stop flying. &nobody in aviation tells "the last".

[@leonardoroland3130]

Un suceso muy lamentable realmente, más allá de las culpabilidades o no..un triste final para una gran máquina y su piloto..

[@rogersanders6486]

Very short finals, 'steep' roll to the right close to the runway threshold... leading to late (almost no) round-out... resulting in overly fast tail-high attitude with (almost no) touch-down... hence little (to no) speed reducing drag - all possibly exacerbated by a tail-wind. My suspicion is that the pilot (regardless of training and experience) may have become 'landing fixated' and belatedly attempted a go-around, via an overly rapid ('panic') throttle increase power-up... with some resultant engine 'choking' and loss of power. Conclusion (mine), pilot error.

[@jonnyolson4387]

PILOT ERROR: Didn't open cowl flaps. Way too fast approach. High time and highly trained pilot with NO SKILL.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The radiator control was not in it's settings, being not in the detents that controlled it, which he did not notice. Overheating, he didn't notice until it began to lose power, then descended rapidly, turned to touch down more than half-way down the runway and at well over landing speed, and downwind.

[@seanarooney2008]

This Allison character's arrogance caused the crash! You must know all about the aircraft before you fly it. I would have never let that idiot get near it!!

[@myrskylintu1]

Landing on a downwind and way too hot. He propably thought the engine was dead so he had no choice. Tried to save the engine by landing downwind. You can understand that but he just came in way too hot. At least 50 mph overspeed on final.

[@davef.2329]

Painful even to watch.

[@deltavee2]

After the fourth try I thought it was Monty Python

[@jdmforever5583]

Always a shame when something happens to these old warbirds and the pilots

[@yak968]

Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing

[@jeno826]

Was there a reason why he forced to land,instead just go around ????

[@Juno58]

Yes.

[@hawnyfox3411]

@Jeno826 Yes, because of HIS own stupidity & ineptitude - He created a disaster of his own making Once he caused the disaster & set the chain in motion, he added to it, by panicking like leg-a wetting schoolgirl He should NOT have even been allowed to fly A DESK , never mind a 55 y/o aircraft worth millions (back then)

[@neillstephenson5482]

Surprised he couldn’t hear everyone shouting go-around 😂

[@武蔵の元さん]

昭和50年代、大阪の万博跡地でMe109が展示され、写真機を持って出かけたよ。 独機マニアでごった返しており、中々お目当ての部位の写真がとれなかったゾ。 まあ、当時の航フでは独機の特集が度々組まれてはいたが。

[@andresalba6122]

Me 109 No, Bf 109 yes

[@richardbennett3368]

White stripe, Mediterranean theater.

[@Dzordzikk]

Looks like strong wind from side? Definitelly bad solved landing, when he see it is wrong, may add power and go arround instead of this. He want to get it to the ground and this is how it ends...

[@enyawnivlag1]

Why didn't the idiot go around?....getitonthegrounditis i think.

[@azelkhntr4992]

What in the world was he trying to do?

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Throwing his rank around! Typical fried egg hat!

[@tomasinacovell4293]

Wow, I hope he didn't live long, what became of the plane?

[@251hanomag]

It was on it`s last planned flight. Before going to Hendon museum. So it was repaired. Also using it`s original parts, that were not suitable for flight. And is now in Cosford museum

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Scrapped aka unfit to fly and placed in a museum

[@mrrcassidy]

"Ladies and Gentlemen we have a small problem".

[@JJ-cf7nb]

What, was that his first solo in an airplane? That landing approach was at least 50 knots fast. And did he just hope it was going to all work out as he floated off the end of the runway? That’s one dangerous mix of arrogance and incompetence.

[@bobwilson758]

109 = ground loop special ! Wait for it - - -

[@simon-oy6um]

It must have broken the hearts of all the dedicated mechanics snd volounteers that got it restored to see that idiot crash it 😢

[@Rubythefemboy]

Restoring isnt the worst here... the saddest part is that Bf-109's are no longer in production , meaning if 1 crashes down its over.

[@tomarmstrong1281]

A machine built either to destroy or be destroyed.

[@АлександрГерасимов-э4ю]

Представьте. Ему в бой, а механики устали крутить ручку. Обратите внимание, на советских самолетах тех лет почти у всех храповые гайки стояли на коке винта. По аэродрому каталась специальная машина, которая могла завести самолет в любой мороз. А немцы ручкой маслают. Цевилизация. Однако

[@Americal1970]

Toooomuch plane for him.

[@markgadsby5568]

What a waste! They were years restoring it! Jerk!

[@ricardobermudez508]

Que aviones tenían los Alemanes,lo mejor,no fue cantidad,fue CALIDAD.

[@georgeveghte6459]

Wow this would have been so much easier to get started, with a fitting on the airline and a portable air tank or a 1 hp electric drill?

[@julesviolin]

Another warbird lost I could have flown without damaging it 😅

[@jamesburns2232]

You probably could not have flown it because you are prolly too nice and not a pushy a$$hat.

[@colinallsopp1684]

The fact is the bf109 g2 which this is had a trolley starting socket halfway down the the rear of the aircraft if they used that start it it my not of crashed that day i know the air marshall who flew it that day he as many flying hours and very experiened pilot always easier to blame a high ranking RAF officer then the lack of decent mechanics that day my uncle flew in the raf in world war2 so i have personal feeling to these amazing aircraft and no im not blaming the mechanics its lack of understanding that this airvraft crashed

[@stevetheduck1425]

He put the radiator selector lever out of detent, neither 'auto' nor 'auf'. This resulted in an engine overheat and steam venting. He then turned back to land more than half of the way down the runway, in a steep approach that guaranteed too much speed to stop before the end of the runway. All of this is seen in this video. A series of pilot errors, ones he did not notice or avoid. The pilot did this to the plane others had put back into flying condition.

[@mothmagic1]

That start up looked all wrong German crews would still be winding as the pilot engaged the starter. Compared with a Merlin, Griffon or Allison the Daimler always sounds as though they built it from parts in the scrap bin and forced it to run.

[@251hanomag]

The engine start up was earlier in the day. I think H&S would have stopped them doing it the WW2 way

[@volkerkonig9376]

​@@251hanomagthere are a lot of opinions from warbird -lovers all over the world which count the engine- noise of an original Daimler Benz ( DB 605 for instance) as one of the best. Couldn't do this " with parts out of the scrap".

[@453421abcdefg12345]

@volkeronig9376: Well, the rattle is there for all to hear, sounds like a rough tractor until it gets going@@volkerkonig9376

[@jamesburns2232]

Well, there once was a man and he had a wooden leg. He was too darned poor, but he didn't want to beg. So, he got him some spools and some old tin cans. Called it a FORD and the damned thing ran. Saga of Henry Ford. 🤠

[@thhseeking]

@@jamesburns2232 There once was a man he had two replacement legs...and he flew Spitfires :P

[@opalablack78]

Stupid pilot, could have made a go-around and try again!

[@Juno58]

Don't judge if you don't know all the facts.

[@podunkman2709]

He crashed this plane on purpose?

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

This happened 26 years ago and they still have not learned their lesson to park these old war birds in the museums and quit wrecking them !! ! It seems they crash a couple every year at some airshow !!! History is a great teacher......IF.....you listen to it !!!!

[@251hanomag]

It` nice to see them fly. But stop when they are rare or the only example left

[@shermansquires3979]

I happen to know Sir John< well he is a friend of my dad's. Great bloke and knows far more about flying than all of the folk on here giving him a hard time.

[@loverofnaturalbeauty]

He cocked up pure and simple. And before you start jumping up and down shouting 'What do I know about flying?', I shall point out that I am an ex-R.A.F F4 Phantom pilot.

[@shermansquires3979]

@@loverofnaturalbeauty yep, he knows he made a mistake. He also didn’t allow the fire crew to cut the airframe. So, what squadron were you in, with the Phantom ?

[@loverofnaturalbeauty]

@@shermansquires3979 228 OCU

[@motoclonkdribblehead5423]

Those who have never fcd up have never done anything! It's just a shame he did it with such a valuable aircraft. It could have been a lot worse, there could have been crops in the field. Shit happens. Anyhow It's back in one piece and looks great. No real harm done and it gave the engineers something to do fixing it

[@Jimmythefish577]

@@loverofnaturalbeautyI’ll take ‘Things you’re making up’ for 500 please Bob…..

[@justlovelyaintit]

Is the starter motor a spring they are winding?😂 How this this work please?

[@251hanomag]

Some info on this forum. About starting Bf 109`s forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=52844

[@jmv668]

Debieron dejar que un piloto aleman lo volara que forma mas tonta de arruinar semejante avion

[@HeavyDragoon]

Well..no matter your rank..and speaking to people that KNOW this aircraft...as a layman....this "man" should NEVER have been entrusted with the controls.."pulling rank" presumably!?!? End result... "WANKERISIM"

[@montagnesaintegenevieve5177]

I didn't say nothin!

[@Yosemite-George-61]

Hanomag... I used to drive Hanomag tractors in Argentina in the 80's... (by the way, I hate airshow comentatos, they ruin... the show)

[@251hanomag]

For me it`s the WW2 German Half track, Sdkfz 251 Hanomag. For my interests in aircraft & military vehicles. Especially WW2 era

[@dianedougwhale7260]

Did you get to Argentina in a U- boot ?

[@Yosemite-George-61]

@@dianedougwhale7260 Nope... but I ate dinner with some of them, when I was a kid in the 70's at my uncle's ranch. One of them show me a trick: Late at night, hanging in front of the fireplace, he took the lead bullet off one of the 44.40 rounds my uncle had, he put the bullet on the little shovel for the ashes and set it to melt on the fire, then took a glass of beer and said "We'll dump the molten lead into the beer, the shape it forms will tell us about your future" and so he did. The shape ressembled a GI's helmet... and years later I became a US Soldier...

[@erhardbaehni1832]

Ther are bolt pilots and there are old pilots but not both ! 😮

[@gregtaylor6146]

'olt' surely?

[@captainaxle438]

Excuse me but the phrase is, "there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots

[@gregtaylor6146]

@@captainaxle438 - Quite right Captain ..... just a little harmless pedantry on my part.

[@captainaxle438]

@@gregtaylor6146 cheerios

[@lanesaarloos281]

Those bolt pilots don't get very oldt.

[@evagelosgog.4362]

Too bad the plane was destroyed so ignominiously. One less piece of history.

[@251hanomag]

It was restored back to it`s original condition. And is now in Hendon museum. Where it was due to go after this flight.

[@dakotadakota1983]

This pilot was only qualified for retirement Even Cessna 152 was too much for him. Sadly but ... 😖

[@bruceholmes3599]

These people who are supposed to look after our heritage Crash these war birds on a regular basis . They are better off in a Museum ! and not touched !

[@hodd2701]

After a long restoration,letting the wrong pilot, Is just sad.

[@greggrace967]

The engine quit on his go around!! You can plainly hear it not making power!! Geez....

[@ButchNackley]

@@greggrace967 Pilot error. Mismanagement of the coolant system, failure to reduce airspeed for landing.

[@greggrace967]

@@ButchNackley it doesn't matter what caused it, it still remains a reduced power accident.

[@greggrace967]

@@ButchNackley even If it's brought on by poor problem solving and not being a good fit for a bird that rare.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Troll!@@greggrace967

[@BlackAce-zr2ms]

We have a piece of Black 6 at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum.. still it's wonderful she was restored and yes she was rebuilt to flying condition after the accident, but the chap who procured her for the restoration Russ Snadden it was decided not to renew the permit to fly due to her rarity as her registration was cancelled in 2000.. so she's a static now albeit in an airworthy condition.. she's now at Hendon..

[@Stephen.C.]

At Cosford isnt it? Was a few weeks ago, has been for years.

[@BlackAce-zr2ms]

@Stephen.C. Sorry, yes she's now at Cosford.. she's been there since 2016..

[@charleshart6992]

This pilot should not have been anywhere near this aircraft

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

Senior officers... know your place.... it's flying desks... not aircraft.

[@martinbrode7131]

Walter, shut up!

[@stephenhargreaves9324]

@@martinbrode7131 Martin you're shouting again.

[@martinbrode7131]

Na und? 🤣

[@jeffmckinna9426]

A very sad ending to a beautiful piece of history Never should have been flown by a novice pilot or someone that was not familiar with this beautiful piece of German engineering

[@matthewmorrissey3280]

What a waste. Dude has no idea how to fly a high performance tailwheel aircraft. Enough said….

[@JR-jw3px]

"worlds greatest pilot" syndrome, head up and locked. Sad, all the restoration blood, sweat and tears. I know how it feels. dammit

[@trainlens3789]

That was just a cool-looking airplane, and the sound it makes is amazing.

[@paulcraddock2196]

Thank you for sharing this video and what an incredible aircraft and with it being the only one flying from the Second World War a shame that it crashed.With the Spitfires,Hurricanes,Bf109 and FW190 ALL these aircraft need to be flying in memory of the brave airman that flew these at there limit in combat.Thank you once again for share.

[@dalekehrer2421]

18 hrs. in it and he's doing an airshow and pushing it balls to the wall. I'd still be kicking his ass everyday, all day long since 97.

[@ianpope2460]

I was there that day, and what surprised me, and doesn't seem to be mentioned in the report was that he was trying to land downwind. All aircraft were taking off left to right from the flight line, as he did in the video the engine sounded like it was still running well at the time, and sadly it looked like he panicked, and cut the final dogleg short. I would say a 109 is not an aircraft to try downwind landings, as demonstrated.

[@rooms1028]

Shouldn't land any plane down wind if you can avoid it, especially a hot rod.

[@greggrace967]

He was attempting a go around and his motor stopped making power. You can clearly hear it. He wasn't a half mile past the runway and Reduced power. NO ONE would do that. That engine was not running right....

[@JustUsFlyers]

@@greggrace967 No, he panicked and messed it up, thats all there is to it.

[@greggrace967]

Whatever......

[@JustUsFlyers]

@@greggrace967 🤣 There's no whatever about it lol, that IS what happened. Sorry if that upsets you.

[@stevenpayne9063]

If you read between the lines the accident report is quite damning (but you don’t explicitly criticise a - then serving - senior RAF officer…🤔)

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

They are a protected species!

[@RichardSmith-cn9mx]

It would seem that he came in way too hot and was trying to force it down. White vapour could have been coolant from the "overheating " engine. Well done Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison should have stuck to flying his desk. It did look like he was giving it some beans.

[@BrianMorrison]

Seems a little unfair. I met Sir John at Old Warden some time after this happened, he was very interesting to talk to and gave me a good explanation of flying various Shuttleworth aircraft including the Hurricane and Spitfire, together with showing me their very comprehensive pilot reference cards kept in the cockpit with various data on speeds, control settings and other aids to flying. He was very complimentary about the Hurricane, especially its handling which he liked. Maybe if the Bf-109 had some better information for the pilot he would have fared better at Duxford, but the reality is that these are old high-performance aircraft and taking them into the air so they can be seen and heard is a risk but on balance needs to be taken because one day they will not fly again. Remember that the original standard of engine installation in these aircraft was inadequate due to inexperience of the operators, and was not really improved as the service life of aircraft in wartime was often a few hours, it wasn't until much later that measures were put in place to extend the engine life with automatic coolant and throttle/boost control.

[@peteredridge9559]

Bottom line is if you get in an airplane and take off you had better know how to fly the thing, anything else is just a bunch of excuses. Your boy attempted a downwind landing (why???), floated the length of the runway and missed doing a go-around when he could and should have. And IF he pulled rank to get in that plane.....there are just not enough words insulting enough to describe him. @@BrianMorrison

[@hawnyfox3411]

@@peteredridge9559 = Well said, esp' that latter part = Spot on I wouldn't trust that overpaid & over-rated moron to drive a scooter, or a kid's tricycle How in God's name he EVER reached A.V.M is beyond me - Must've been a Mason, or into "buggery"

[@gerardboorsma3418]

109 is anyhow difficult to land. He was to long trying, should have gone around to have another try,pity......

[@Juno58]

Oh, an experienced 109 pilot...😅

[@jensnitsche4994]

Wenn man bedenkt, dass einst kaum 20 jährige Piloten der deutschen Luftwaffe dieses Flugzeug im Kampfeinsatz beherrschen mussten und konnten...

[@dianedougwhale7260]

And many died in non combat accidents of many causes !

[@LawrenceLangley-k1h]

He was about 50 knots to fast on final, WTF ?. Mi avión favorito de todas las épocas. My favourite plane !.

[@greggrace967]

He was going to go around and his engine stopped.

[@DannyBoy777777]

@ user-mg4fj7ix8k How many 109s have you flown? Clown.

[@superhase3206]

@@greggrace967 The story at the time was an overheating engine due to the pilot error, i.e., not opening the cowl flaps!

[@66PHILB]

A big thank you to the extraordinary efforts of Russ Snadden and the amazing team he gathered and maintained to restore Black 6 to flying condition. I saw it flying at numerous airshows and was deeply disappointed when it was to be grounded. Given this accident, its great that it has survived in fine static condition with the RAF Museum at Hendon and now at Cosford.

[@251hanomag]

From Wikipedia Allison was piloting the last airworthy Second World War German Messerschmitt Bf 109 when he made a forced landing at an air show in Duxford in October 1997. The incident occurred on the aircraft's last planned flight before being placed as permanent static display at RAF Duxford.[5] Allison had 4,612 hours of flying experience across his career, though only 18 hours on this particular aircraft type. A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch concluded that Allison had manually operated the cooling system of the Daimler Benz DB605A engine into a level of overheating, and had interpreted the thermostat-controlled release of coolant fluid to be an indicator of imminent engine failure. Allison made an attempt to land at the designated airstrip but approached too fast, aborting landing and climbing to an altitude to pass over the M11 motorway. Allison then attempted to land in a ploughed field nearby, but the aircraft nosed over and the pilot became trapped until rescue workers arrived.[6] Alison was unharmed.[5] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allison_(RAF_officer)

[@251hanomag]

@@stevewayne1359 The Hans Dittes, Daimler Benz re-engined Ha-112 Buchon was also around in the mid 90`s. I should have some video of it with Black 6 at Duxford. warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66108 vintageaviationecho.com/mark-hanna-pt-4/ And Wiki pages on the Buchon, & Avia S-199 Hispano Aviación HA-1112 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispano_Aviaci%C3%B3n_HA-1112 And the Avia S-199 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avia_S-199

[@251hanomag]

When I started to do airshows more regularly in the mid 1980`s The Germans were a Pilatas 2, and a Bf108. So it was nice to see the Buchon`s !

[@mriamilne]

Highly unimpressive performance from Alison.

[@Jimmythefish577]

@@stevewayne1359jeez you’d think you owned it the way you’re going on. Take a chill pill before you stroke out.

[@stevewayne1359]

@@Jimmythefish577 If I had owned it it would not have crashed. Clearly you do not realise the importance or rarity of original vintage warbirds

[@skyhigh1278]

I remember one of the local newspaper's headlines, The last RAF officer to bring down a German aircraft

[@Felix-fy7ki]

Well, this way was close to friendly fire!

[@willmartin7293]

Now that is too funny!!! 😂😂😂

[@franckmuller.astruc8981]

Ironic....

[@martinbrode7131]

Jesper vogcthe UK? ​@@willmartin7293

[@Dackah]

Pilot error, pure and simple-but when involving such an aircraft as this..tragic.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Shame, but good the aircraft wasn't a total lose, as for the pilot, Allison, sadly he will always be remembered for this one day, his whole RAF career focused on a decision he made about an over heating engine.

[@2805ALLAN]

In the accident report there was mention of one engine switch that was not in its full indent position; pilot had thought it was; this caused the glycol smoke emission which led him to think he needed to get the plane down pronto and as has been pointed out, he was way too fast on finals. Can’t remember what this particular switch was but clearly it had something to do with engine management.

[@TONYPARAMOTOR]

PILOT ERROR...

[@jonathanballard4710]

The Spit landed the other way. So one of these aircraft landed down wind. Must have been the 109 because he overshot the runway. Most basic error.

[@MrSteeleye]

He had no choice with loss of engine power. Had to get down quickly with no choice of a go around. With what little power he had, he had to make it over the fence and highway.

[@rjhinnj]

On take off and landing, the tail was up right away, and almost beyond horizontal so that it might have nosed into the ground. I knew something was gonna happen since it seemed the pilot was not quite proficient at flying the plane. What a shame… the only one left flying!! Who approved the pilot for this flight???

[@stevetheduck1425]

He approved himself, I understand. He should have been more aware of the design problems, noticed his own mishandling of the radiator controls, not landed down-wind at high speed half-way along the runway... the list goes on.