Royal Navy loses Firefly

Air Classics, Oct 2003 by O'Leary, Michael

Dramatic crash questions British airshow safety

On 12 July, the Royal Naval Historic Flight's Fairey Firefly was totally destroyed and its two crewmembers killed (Lt. Cmdr. Bill Murton and Neil Rix) when it crashed during an acrobatic display at Duxford's annual Flying Legends airshow. After Britain's disastrous 2002 Warbird airshow season, this accident was a particular blow. The aircraft, Firefly Mk. V WB271, had just completed an extensive maintenance program.

Commodore Bill Covington, the commanding officer of RNAS Yeovilton where the Historic Flight is based, said, "Bill was a most experienced and respected Naval pilot with well over 5000-hr flying time to his credit." Rix was an aircraft fitter with the Royal Naval Historic Flight.

The airshow was initially stopped as emergency crews responded to the crash but the show was resumed shortly afterwards. Ted Inman, director of the Duxford facility, stated carrying on with the show was the "right decision."

Explaining it was a "difficult call," Inman continued, "Initially there was a pause because our emergency cover was away at the accident. We had time to consider whether to continue with the show and on balance we felt that it was appropriate to do so when emergency cover was restored to the right level." Inman maintained that Duxford's accident record since it started hosting air displays in 1973 was "very good" and that the Civil Aviation Authority guidelines were followed at all times. "All maneuvers are geared above all to the safety of the crowds and this tragic event took place a long, long way from the crowd," he added.

Be that as it may, the Firefly did come down near the village of Duxford and it would have been a disaster if it had crashed in the populated area. Seasoned airshow observers have stated that many of the British Warbird airshow acts fly too low and too hard. Others that were at Duxford stated that they "could see" the Firefly accident coming as the pilot had fallen out of a previous maneuver.