In reply to Peters Herc story a story my brother told me when he was a RAAFie is that Australiais one of the few nations to lose its complete aerobatic team in one hit. Apparently they were performing a barrel roll (4 Vampires) and they were too low 1,2,3 ploughed straight in 4 saw it coming and tried to pull up and pancacked but the plane disintegrated.
google this for a read - TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?
Fatal accident involving Red Sales aerobatic team near
East Sale, Victoria, 15th August 1962 Sic Atur Ad Astra
My brother went along to this one to pick up the pieces;
Extracts from DDAAFS Safety Magazine
“SIFTING THROUGH THE EVIDENCE”
29 September 1977 (F-111C A8-133) – 2nd F-111 accident – birdstrike and
ejection Evans Head
Overview
During the downwind leg at 2000 ft AMSL for a second bombing pass on a 320° attack
heading, the aircraft experienced at least three birdstrikes on the cockpit
transparencies. Between 10–12 seconds later ejection was initiated at a height of 720
ft AMSL and airspeed of 520 kts. The crew module impacted the ground after a flight
time of approximately three seconds. Both crew members were killed. The aircraft
crashed into the ground approximately 9 nm south-southwest from the main radar
target at Evans Head air weapons range (NSW) and caused an extensive ground fire.
Wreckage from the windscreen panels and other cockpit contents were recovered 1.5
nm back along the flight path from the aircraft’s ground impact point.
The F-111 was in a nose down and Rt wing down attitude when the co-pilot ejected them out it is unclear if the pilot was alive after the bird/s came through the front windshields and at 520 knots thats cooking along