‘Lucky’ escape as fighter jet part lands in field

The RAF confirmed the part had come from a Typhoon jet based at RAF Coningsby

Deborah Coleman Grey-coloured parts from a Typhoon jet laying in a field covered in mud — The RAF confirmed the part had come from a Typhoon jet based at RAF Coningsby

An investigation has begun after a part from a fighter jet fell in a field in East Yorkshire.

The RAF confirmed “a pylon” had detached itself from the RAF Coningsby-based Typhoon jet in Haisthorpe, near Bridlington, during a sortie on 17 January.

There was no damage to any property and no reports of any injuries, a spokesperson said.

Crews have since recovered the equipment, they added.

The debris was later recovered by military personnel

Nicola Thackeray Uniformed crews retrieving the parts. They have been covered in a white tarpaulin. One of the team is wearing an orange hi-vis jacket. — The debris was later recovered by military personnel

Shaun Colman, who was in Bridlington at the time of the incident, said someone he worked with described hearing a loud “thud”.

After visiting the field the following day “out of curiosity”, he said it was “lucky” it came down where it did and not in the village.

“There was quite a bit of debris there and it made quite a crater,” he added.

He said the wreckage had initially been guarded by a local police officer before military personnel came in to retrieve it on Sunday.

Mr Colman said the incident had sparked a fair bit of interest from local residents

Crispin Rolfe/BBC Deborah and Shaun Coleman standing in a field. Mrs Coleman has red-coloured hair and is wearing a dark-coloured winter coat. Mr Coleman has grey hair and is wearing a beige jumper. — Mr Colman said the incident had sparked a fair bit of interest from local residents

Aviation journalist and former RAF pilot David Learmount said it was the “first time in years” he had heard of a pylon falling off.

He said Typhoon jets used pylons to mount things including missiles or extra fuel tanks to the outside of the aircraft.

“It is just literally a structure on to which additional equipment can be bolted for a particular mission,” he said.

“It’s quite a heavy piece of equipment and I’m glad there wasn’t a person or animal underneath it because they wouldn’t have survived if it had hit them.”

In his opinion, he said the most likely cause of the failure was some sort of error when the pylons were being mounted.

“Either that, and I think this is slightly less likely, a failure in one of the attachment parts,” he added.

Mr Learmount said there was a lot of military activity in the skies over Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

However, he said, due to the rural landscape of the region, any objects falling from planes were likely to land in “open country”.

Pylons are used to attach additional equipment to the outside of the aircraft

Jon Hobley/Getty Images Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon coming into land at RAF Coningsby. It has the number 433 on the tail fin and the RAF's red, white and blue circular emblem behind the cockpit. — Pylons are used to attach additional equipment to the outside of the aircraft

RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire is one of two RAF Quick Reaction Alert Stations which protect UK airspace. RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland is the other.

The station is home to two frontline, combat-ready squadrons and is also the training station for Typhoon pilots.

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