RAF Nimrod puts out Mayday call after 'major fuel leak'
The Nimrod was never designed to conduct air-to-air refuelling
Michael Smith of The Sunday Times
An RAF Nimrod flying over southern Afghanistan put out a Mayday call and made an emergency landing at Kandahar air base on Monday after crew found fuel pouring into the bomb bay.
The aircraft was in the middle of refuelling when the crew discovered what several sources described as "a major fuel leak" in the bomb bay. The pilot immediately declared an emergency and broke off refuelling.
It is a repeat of an incident in September last year, when an RAF Nimrod exploded over Kandahar province killing all 14 on board. The board of inquiry into that incident has yet to report but that Nimrod, tail number XV230, had just refuelled in mid-air and the board's initial findings blamed pressure from the air-to-air refuelling system for forcing a serious leak.
The pilot of XV230 reported a fire in his bomb bay and attempted to land at Kandahar. He dropped 20,000 feet in just 90 seconds but at 3,000 feet the starboard wing exploded, followed by the rest of the aircraft.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2826702.ece
The Nimrod was never designed to conduct air-to-air refuelling
Michael Smith of The Sunday Times
An RAF Nimrod flying over southern Afghanistan put out a Mayday call and made an emergency landing at Kandahar air base on Monday after crew found fuel pouring into the bomb bay.
The aircraft was in the middle of refuelling when the crew discovered what several sources described as "a major fuel leak" in the bomb bay. The pilot immediately declared an emergency and broke off refuelling.
It is a repeat of an incident in September last year, when an RAF Nimrod exploded over Kandahar province killing all 14 on board. The board of inquiry into that incident has yet to report but that Nimrod, tail number XV230, had just refuelled in mid-air and the board's initial findings blamed pressure from the air-to-air refuelling system for forcing a serious leak.
The pilot of XV230 reported a fire in his bomb bay and attempted to land at Kandahar. He dropped 20,000 feet in just 90 seconds but at 3,000 feet the starboard wing exploded, followed by the rest of the aircraft.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2826702.ece