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This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the English Electric Lightning twin-engined interceptor and multi-role fighter. The main operator of the Lightning was the Royal Air Force but it was also operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Kuwait Air Force.
The English Electric Lightning is a British fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It was capable of a top speed of above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric.
- 4 August 1954 (P.1A), 4 April 1957
- 1988 (RAF)
- 337 (including prototypes)
Aug 7, 2018 · The tractor driver heard the bang of the ejection seat and is seen after quickly turning around to look at what was going on… The following article titled “The story behind a famous photograph of an ejection from a Lightning” appeared in Issue 5 – English Electric Lightning of Aviation Classic.
Crashed on final approach to Hatfield, whilst involved in the Red Top AAM programme, on 13-9-62. Whilst carrying out a demonstration flight, there was a fire in the aircraft's reheat zone. Un-burnt fuel in the rear fuselage had been ignited by a small crack in the jet pipe and had weakened the tailplane actuator anchorage.
- 95K
- XG332
- BAC (British Aircraft Corporation)
- English Electric Lightning F1
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- Crew
- Flight History
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The English Electric Lightning was a high-performance short-range interceptor aircraft. The Lightning had a max takeoff weight of 20 tons, and could reach Mach 2.0. The aircraft involved in the incident was the second production Lightning, designated XM135. XM135 was suffering from an electrical fault that would only manifest during acceleration fo...
Wing Commander Walter "Taffy" Holden enlisted in 1943, gaining a cadetship to a university. Studying mechanical engineering, Holden also learnt to fly on the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane. Holden pursued an engineering career in the RAF; however, the RAF did qualify him with pilot wings after training on the Harvard. He subsequently practised on ...
The troubles with aircraft XM135 were holding up the closure of the unit, and at the time of the incident, no test pilot was available for another week. A pilot from RAF Boscombe Down, who was involved in previous tests, suggested Holden perform the test himself because it involved only ground taxiing for 30 to 40 yards at a time. For each test, Ho...
The aircraft was repaired and returned to service. The electrical fault was determined to be caused by wires left in place from a deleted ground test button for the standby inverter, which shorted into the UHF radio which moved on its trunnions during the takeoff run. After flying for 1343 hours, XM135 was acquired in 1974 by the Imperial War Museu...
- 22 July 1966
- RAF Lyneham
- English Electric Lightning F.1
- Unqualified person takes off after engaging afterburner by mistake during ground test
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Crashed into sea 5 miles north of Flamborough Head, 8-9-70. Pilot, Capt William Schaffer (USAF), killed. Hours flown 650 hours 45 minutes. The pilot of the accident aircraft was a USAF exchange officer who had completed 2 tours on the USAF F-102 all weather fighter. He had accumulated 121 hours on the Lightning, of which 18 were at night.
The English Electric Lightning which was accidentally flown. Liam Shaw takes a look at the Lightning's design, development, armament and service history.
