• RAAF Airman Aircrew ~ Simply The Best ....
  • Boeing Globemaster C17-A ~ 36 Squadron ....
  • Alenia Spartan C-27J ~ 35 Squadron ....
  • Airbus A330 ~ 33 Squadron ....
  • Boeing 707-338C ~ 33 Squadron ....
  • Boeing E-7A Hawkeye ~ 2 Squadron ....
  • Lockheed Hercules C-130J ~ 37 Squadron ....
  • Lockheed Hercules C-130H ~ 36 Squadron ....
  • Lockheed Hercules C-130E ~ 37 Squadron ....
  • Lockheed Hercules C-130A ~ 36 Squadron ....
  • Pacific Aerospace CT4 ~ 1 Flying Training School ....
  • Bombardia Challenger CL604 ~ 34 Squadron ....
  • Beechcraft King Air 350 ~ 32 Squadron ....
  • BAC1-11 ~ 34 Squadron ....
  • Boeing 737 ~ 34 Squadron ....
  • Bell Iroquois UH-1H ~ 9 Squadron ....
  • De Havilland Caribou DHC-4 ~ 38 Squadron ....
  • Boeing Chinook CH-47 ~ 12 Squadron ....
  • Lockheed Orion P3 ~ 11 Squadron ....
  • Sikorski Blackhawk UH-60 ~ 9 Squadron ....
  • Douglas DC3 ~ Aircraft Research and Development Unit ....
  • Pilatus PC9 ~ 2 Flying Training School ....
  • Aermacchi MB-326H ~ Roulettes ....

Vale - Ross FOX, Pilot ....

F/A-18 mid-air collision, Tindall, 02 Aug 1990.

Two F/A-18 aircraft from 75 Squadron (A21-29 and A21-42) were practising a simulated pairs intercept.  In this exercise, two aircraft track an electronically generated radar return presented on their head-up displays.  The aircraft manoeuvre until one achieves parameters which satisfy missile launch requirements.  Missile launch is simulated and the launching aircraft continues to provide radar illumination of the simulated target throughout the computed missile flight time.

Aircraft manoeuvres are quite violent throughout the interception and a high degree of teamwork is required.  Head-up displays are recorded on videotape during the exercise.  An inspection of the tape from A21-29 showed that the aircraft was pulling about 3.3g in a 90' banked turn to starboard, Mach 0.86, altitude 32,000 ft, when it collided with A21-42.  During the collision, A21-29 lost most of its port wing outboard of the wing fold and a 2ft section of its port tailplane was removed.  Control was retained and the aircraft landed successfully.

Sadly the pilot of A21-42, WGCDR Ross Fox (CO 75 Squadron), was killed in the accident; his aircraft crashed and was totally destroyed.  His body was recovered on 3 August.  The 39 year old was a popular commanding officer, ‘a very fine officer and a great bloke.’  On 10 August 1990, all the officers and airmen who had served with 75 Squadron for two years were flown by RAAF Boeing 707 to attend his funeral at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane.  A party of 82 officers and airmen escorted the colours and bore the casket through the streets to its final resting place.

An AIM-9 missile was mounted on the port wing tip launcher of A21-29 and an analysis of the wreckage showed that this missile had impacted and destroyed the canopy of A21-42.  In the process, the dummy warhead of the missile broke up completely and, since the canopy bow was the only component in the area sufficiently stiff to generate the required impact forces, this enabled the exact collision geometry to be determined.