Rooftop Crash - Alexandria, Egypt

[BorderWarrior]

Right these pictures are I believe of a Royal Navy Blackburn Roc which crashed on the rooftop of Alexandria during a sandstorm, if i recall correctly I think the pilot was killed, Grandad said after an extensive search they found the engine nearly three quarters of a mile away!

Im sure this will appeal to Navy A/C buffs.

Steve

 

[ozhawk40]

Interesting pics - thanks for posting these.

 

[Wayne Little]

Yeah...thanks for posting them...

 

[buffnut453]

Fantastic pics!! It's always great to see close-up pics of rare aircraft like the Roc. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Colin1]

Sorry to hear about the pilot
but was there a guy in the turret? If so, what happened to him?

 

[vikingBerserker]

Wow! Great pics.

 

[Gnomey]

Interesting shots, thanks for sharing.

 

[BorderWarrior]

Sorry to hear about the pilot
but was there a guy in the turret? If so, what happened to him?

Guy in the turret was relatively uninjured I believe

 

[Airframes]

Great shots Steve. Shame about the pilot. Considering what appears to have been a relatively good 'landing', he was unlucky.

 

[Njaco]

Border, you've been posting some great pics!!

 

[GrauGeist]

Great shots Steve. Shame about the pilot. Considering what appears to have been a relatively good 'landing', he was unlucky.

I agree, Terry...it looks like an amazing job of getting it down on the rooftops in one peice...

So what happened, the pilot busted his head on the sight and/or dashboard? The fuselage looks to be in pretty good shape, even with the crushing/buckling at the lower firewall...

 

[Airframes]

Very possibly a broken neck, or severe internal injuries, due to the presumed sudden stop. Must have been some teriffic inertia there. I'd guess the gunner got away with due to his position, and presumably facing the rear, with the front end, and pilot, absorbing most of the impact.

 

[BorderWarrior]

Very possibly a broken neck, or severe internal injuries, due to the presumed sudden stop. Must have been some teriffic inertia there. I'd guess the gunner got away with due to his position, and presumably facing the rear, with the front end, and pilot, absorbing most of the impact.

I think it was a broken neck, if I remember correctly, that many crashes Grandad went to, cant fully recall the details, they were 3 miles off course lost in the sandstorm and the gunner said he believed they were still over the sea!

 

[Capt. Vick]

Where are the guns for the gunner? Squadron hack perhaps?

 

[BorderWarrior]

Where are the guns for the gunner? Squadron hack perhaps?

They had been removed for safety(and prevent locals pinching them!) as they were about to start lowering the wreckage down to street level.

 

[Capt. Vick]

They had been removed for safety(and prevent locals pinching them!) as they were about to start lowering the wreckage down to street level.

Nah, it looks like they were never there. The slots are "perspexed" over.

 

[BorderWarrior]

Nah, it looks like they were never there. The slots are "perspexed" over.

Pass! Just going from memory of what I was told

 

[Airframes]

I think Vic's right. The turret appears to be facing forward, with the open part, at the rear, the entrance hatch, with the covering panels slid around either side.
I can't remember, without checking, if the Roc and Skua had forward-firing wing guns, unlike the Defiant. maybe your grandad refered to these?

 

[BorderWarrior]

I think Vic's right. The turret appears to be facing forward, with the open part, at the rear, the entrance hatch, with the covering panels slid around either side.
I can't remember, without checking, if the Roc and Skua had forward-firing wing guns, unlike the Defiant. maybe your grandad refered to these?

The Roc was rear firing and could spin round to the side.

 

[Airframes]

Sorry Steve, I meant wing-mounted guns in addition to the rotating BP turret.