September 21st 2024.
The peaceful morning in the charming village of Cambridgeshire was shattered in an instant when an RAF jet plummeted onto houses, leaving behind a scene of destruction and devastation. September 21, 1979, started like any other day for the residents of Elm, but it quickly turned into a nightmare when two Hawker RAF jets collided mid-air. The tragic consequences of this accident were felt by the unassuming villagers on the ground.
The incident occurred out of nowhere, with a clear blue sky above. The two jets were participating in a routine training exercise when they collided at an altitude of 8,000 feet. As investigations later revealed, the collision was a result of the pilots' actions, rather than a technical malfunction. The inquiry discovered that the pilots were engaged in a mock dogfight, and in an attempt to outmaneuver each other, they ended up on a dangerous collision course.
The first jet, powered by a Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, had its starboard wingtip and outrigger torn off, forcing the pilot to eject immediately. The aircraft spiraled down and crashed into a nearby field. Meanwhile, the second jet was spinning out of control, heading towards the village of Wisbech. The pilot managed to maintain control for a few seconds before losing it and being forced to eject as well.
The second jet crashed into the town, destroying three houses and tragically claiming the lives of three civilians, including a father and his two-year-old son. The pilot of this jet narrowly escaped serious injury. The incident also narrowly missed two schools and a college, leaving behind a massive crater in its wake.
Witnesses who were present on that fateful day described the horrific event in vivid detail. One woman, who was hanging laundry in her garden, felt a great shudder before the deafening silence that followed. She heard a woman's voice crying out, repeating the heartbreaking words, "my baby's dead." The head of a local primary school, just 300 yards away from the crash site, witnessed the jet touching the roof of a building before exploding into a cloud of smoke that reached 100 feet into the air.
A solicitor from Wisbech also shared his account of what happened. He heard the jet's piercing screech and likened it to the sound of a dying animal. The aircraft flew over the roof of his office, just a few feet above him, before crashing down with a thunderous noise, like that of a massive castle gate slamming shut. He also added that the pilot stayed with the aircraft until the very last second, managing to land close by. It was truly a dreadful day for the entire village.
In the aftermath of the crash, it was revealed that the tragedy could have been much worse. The two jets narrowly missed hitting a school, a college, and several other houses. The investigation found that the collision was caused by the pilots' actions, specifically one of them attempting to outmaneuver the other. It was a devastating incident that shook the entire community and left a lasting impact on all those involved.
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