RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

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Andyph
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RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Andyph »

I remember that Saturday well - it had rained in the morning and we decided that we would go 'on' base on the Sunday instead.

We were camping at the Whelford camp site (anyone remember when the official campsite was there? – sorry we were the drunk ones playing Pink Floyd all night!) so went to the end of 27 to watch the display on the Saturday.

When the two Migs collided a bloke next to me asked "whose are they?"

“Must be Ukrainian” I said looking at the Yellow and Blue! So I was surprised to find out later they were Russian.

Just wondering if anyone know why they were Yellow and Blue? (with a small Russian flag on the fin)

Present events have brought it back to mind

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iainpeden
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by iainpeden »

My dad and I were negotiating with a crew member of the Bear (other end of the airfield) for a Russian officers hat at the time. They had Moscow Olympics medals, fags, large knives, all sorts.

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Rick
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Rick »

Hi Andy,

Sorry I can't answer your question but I've often wondered exactly where each aircraft hit the ground. Were both inside the airfield boundary?

I've searched online but never been able to find an overhead photo showing the crash sites. If someone could point me in the right direction that would be appreciated

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phreakf4
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by phreakf4 »

One landed inside the airfield (North side near where the aerobatic teams were parked at the last RIAT) and the other outside.
nothing is confirmed at a show until its u/c hits the tarmac or it is running in for its display.....

ThreeM
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by ThreeM »

The father of a work colleague at the time owned a farm that overlooked the airfield. She was watching from one of his fields and the MIG-29 crashed in the adjacent field of the neighbouring farm. I don't know if that farmer ever succeeded in his claim for compensation due to the contamination.

MerlinPaul
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by MerlinPaul »

The reason they were Yellow and blue was because they came from the Russian Test Centre with their Test Pilots flying them. Remember the incident well. Airfield was closed for a time after the accident and we could not get back to our camp site which that year was at the end of the runway across the road. Great place to watch and photograph the arrivals and departures. Sadly but understandable the camp site was never allowed there again.

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capercaillie
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by capercaillie »

MerlinPaul wrote:
Wed 09 Mar 2022, 9:56 am
The reason they were Yellow and blue was because they came from the Russian Test Centre with their Test Pilots flying them.
That doesn't really answer the question though? The same test centre also had a team flying two Su27s that were red, white and blue.

I seem to recall it was the colours of a flag of the local region or something similar at the Gromov Test Centre, but 29 years addles the brain a little.
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Tommy
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Tommy »

Not really an answer to the question, but if anyone ever visits South Wales, the wreckage is at SWAM - quite a lot of the cockpit of one of them survives.

Quite interesting from a U.K. airshow history PoV:

Image

Image

rebel14
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by rebel14 »


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Tommy
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Tommy »

I think that’s the same wreckage, now moved to SWAM.

AlfaPapa
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by AlfaPapa »

If it is the same wreckage then it appears someone has removed a large portion of the right hand side of the cockpit/fuselage. Which seems a shame and somewhat unnecessary IMO.

Ben Dunnell
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Ben Dunnell »

This is an interesting question. In the Air Tattoo 50 book, I wrote that they were the colours of the pre-Russian revolutionary Tsar's Air Fleet. However, I must confess I can't recall where that came from, and — with my reference books currently inaccessible during house work — I can't immediately check. Nor can I locate any confirmatory references online. I certainly remember consulting Crécy's 'MiG-29 & MiG-35' book, so perhaps an answer is to be found in there?

The colours of the Russian Air Force flag, incidentally, are yellow and blue, but this doesn't explain the black element to the MiGs' scheme — and the question of whether the aeroplanes themselves were strictly military or civilian was an interesting one.

ThreeM
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by ThreeM »

I would conclude civilian. The farmer on whose land the MiG-29 crashed was kicked from pillar to post in his quest for compensation. Taking the matter up with the Russian embassy he was apparently told he would have to pursue a personal claim to be made against the two pilots involved.

Mike
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Mike »

That surprises me. Wouldn’t the show organisers be required to take out insurance for any damage their event might cause? And if not, wouldn’t they need to ensure that participants had sufficient third party liability insurance?

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Wrexham Mackem
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

ThreeM wrote:
Wed 09 Mar 2022, 3:06 pm
I would conclude civilian. The farmer on whose land the MiG-29 crashed was kicked from pillar to post in his quest for compensation. Taking the matter up with the Russian embassy he was apparently told he would have to pursue a personal claim to be made against the two pilots involved.
I hope he was successful in the end. I was camping on his land - he ran a campsite in the field between his farm and the perimeter fence - and he took me behind the farm into the field to see the wreck, from a reasonable distance of course. He was very pragmatic about it all, a nice chap.

Andyph
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Andyph »

Ben Dunnell wrote:
Wed 09 Mar 2022, 1:59 pm
This is an interesting question. In the Air Tattoo 50 book, I wrote that they were the colours of the pre-Russian revolutionary Tsar's Air Fleet. However, I must confess I can't recall where that came from, and — with my reference books currently inaccessible during house work — I can't immediately check. Nor can I locate any confirmatory references online. I certainly remember consulting Crécy's 'MiG-29 & MiG-35' book, so perhaps an answer is to be found in there?

The colours of the Russian Air Force flag, incidentally, are yellow and blue, but this doesn't explain the black element to the MiGs' scheme — and the question of whether the aeroplanes themselves were strictly military or civilian was an interesting one.
Google doesn't seem to turn up anything regarding pre-1917 Russia - Looks to me the Russian Air Force Flag seems likely?

But I'd be fascinated to hear any more thoughts.
MerlinPaul wrote:
Wed 09 Mar 2022, 9:56 am
The reason they were Yellow and blue was because they came from the Russian Test Centre with their Test Pilots flying them. Remember the incident well. Airfield was closed for a time after the accident and we could not get back to our camp site which that year was at the end of the runway across the road. Great place to watch and photograph the arrivals and departures. Sadly but understandable the camp site was never allowed there again.
I thought the Welford campsite closed because the bomb dump was expanded?

As I said I was at the 27 end when they hit.
My mate was stood next to me and was videoing them .
Watching the playback he followed the aircraft that crashed near the Belgian C-130.
But suddenly the camera is pointed at the grass at his feet – before focusing again on the aircraft.

I asked him why he pointed at the ground – his answer “ I wanted to look up and see there were no bits of aeroplane coming down on me!”
fair enough!

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TEXANTOMCAT
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by TEXANTOMCAT »

The radome was 'removed for safety' by an enterprising passer by in a van and is in a private museum but I've spoken to them and hopefully it will be reunited with the cockpit at SWAM

Unknown74
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Unknown74 »

Was there not a story that one of the pilots had a Will Smith moment & Chris Rocked the other one when they landed? Also it was a little concerning to see one lighting a cigarette on the Airfield when he was down.

FarnboroJohn
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by FarnboroJohn »

Unknown74 wrote:
Fri 01 Apr 2022, 2:44 pm
Was there not a story that one of the pilots had a Will Smith moment & Chris Rocked the other one when they landed? Also it was a little concerning to see one lighting a cigarette on the Airfield when he was down.
As I recall the story it was the smoker who was in receipt of the physical admonishment. Adolf Galland had a cigar lighter in his Me109, can you believe it? Most of the Armed Forces of most countries used to light up at every opportunity. Just another area of the past where it's inappropriate to criticise using modern practices.

Unknown74
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by Unknown74 »

I also remember getting a wee bit upset when it happened as we didn't exactly know wether the pilots had survived or not?

farnboroughrob
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by farnboroughrob »

I was there but I looked away at the vital moment, only to look back and see one aircraft exploding as it hit the ground and the second in a flat spin about to kit the ground. From what I remember of the video one pilot as very lucky as the others wing could have gone right through the cockpit?.

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ericbee123
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by ericbee123 »

I had photographed the display earlier. Then the commentator said “this is a dangerous manoeuvre, one aircraft will loop inside the other” or something similar. I put my camera down to watch them do this and crash into each other.
Disclaimer-I have spell/grammar checked this post, it may still contain mistakes that might cause offence.

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boff180
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by boff180 »

Unknown74 wrote:
Wed 06 Apr 2022, 4:35 pm
I also remember getting a wee bit upset when it happened as we didn't exactly know wether the pilots had survived or not?
There was a rumour at the time going round that a pilot had flown one in to save people on the ground.

I was there too, it was my first RIAT and we were camping on one of the official campsites. My mother had stayed with the caravan.

The second MiG unbeknown to most that day, just missed the campsite. It passed directly over the campers and came down in the next field, just over the hedge from caravans.

When it happened me and my father were just leaving the airfield and got could tell the smoke was coming from near the camp. We didn’t know what we were going back to.

My mother had been watching the display from the caravan. She recalls looking up and first seeing the pilots parachute and thinking to herself “this didn’t have parachutists yesterday”…. She then saw the burning fuselage coming towards them…. Her and all the others on the campsite ran to try and get clear as they thought it was coming down on them.

People were very lucky that day.

In the aftermath the emergency services arrived on scene not knowing what they would find. It turned out the only way to access the crash site was via the camp and we were placed under guard to preserve it for investigation over night.

I think the squaddies and police that were on duty that night loved it as the campers kept them well supplied with tea and biscuits all night.

The RAF also bought loads of goodies round for the kids on the camp too. They did their best to look after people knowing we would be shook up.

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iainpeden
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by iainpeden »

Eric, I suspect the years might be fogging the memory as I doubt the word dangerous would have been in the script, difficult maybe. Whatever, it’s certainly an event which has stuck in the memory bank.

I do remember the Swiss Hunters going straight up to display and the airfield gates being shut to help traffic management.
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Re: RIAT 1993 MIG-29 Crash

Post by FarnboroJohn »

My brother and I were chatting with John Nichol during the MiGs' display and though we were taking photos we both put our cameras down to look for chutes and got none of the accident. It seemed remarkable that both pilots got out as the nose of one aircraft was almost chopped off and was flopping about wildly on the way down.

Two immediate recollections - JN jumped on his trestle table to see better and his fairly ample belly burst his gro-bag open: once he had an idea of the situation he was masterful in clearing the way for the emergency vehicles, many grockles simply didn't bother moving until he shouted at them - and all the RAF helicopter aircrew in the static spun their aircraft up in case they were needed for casevac. Full marks all round.

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