McNess/Cairns-Cowan – 13 Sep 93
A8-127 [4,471.6 total flying hours]
Pilot: FLTLT Jeremy ‘Jezz’ McNess
CAT C – 225 hrs F-111
Navigator: FLTLT Mark ‘CC’ Cairns-Cowan
CAT C – 291 hrs F-111
Fatal Accident @ Night, Land Strike. F-111C A8-127 took off from Amberley at 6:53pm, the first of three aircraft at 10 minute intervals for a night Terrain Following (TF) Strike Mission. 23 minutes later, A8-127 carried out an Auto TF run-in at 400 feet, 540 knots and conducted a simulated Autotoss bomb attack on the Guyra Meatworks. During the manoeuvre, the aircraft turned right and impacted the ground two miles north west of Guyra. The aircraft suffered total disintegration and the pilot and the navigator were killed instantly on impact.
Crash Site of A8-127 near Guyra, NSW
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Accident summary. Accident investigators assessed the aircraft was approximately wings level, wing sweep 44o, 483 KTAS, 37 o dive angle and a rate of descent greater than 30,000 feet per minute. The impact crater measured 21.5 meters long, 13.2 meters wide and 4 meters deep; wreckage was strewn over a large area, predominantly forward of the impact point and out as far as 3 kilometres … more accident details in this extract from DDAAFS Safety Magazine “Sifting Through the Evidence” Accident Report A8-127
