One of the most famous aviation photos
Jim Meads, a photographer living in near the Hatfield aerodrome, Hertfordshire, UK, captured one of aviation history’s most iconic moments. On 13 September 1962, a pilot friend told Meads that he would be test flying one of only twenty English Electric Lightning F1 aircraft, registered XG332, inviting him to photograph the event.
Thrilled at the opportunity to shoot the only British-built fighter capable of Mach 2 speeds, Meads set out with his camera with only two exposures left on his film, hoping to frame the aircraft landing behind his children.
Fate, however, had other plans. As Meads and his family approached the airfield, a 23-year-old groundskeeper, Mike Sutterby, drove over on a tractor to ask them to leave as they were on private property.
At that moment, the Lightning went out of control at a dangerously low altitude. The pilot ejected at the last possible second, the tractor driver turned to see what the noise was, creating an extraordinary scene that Meads captured in a split second—a once-in-a-lifetime shot, especially for the era.
The pilot ejecting from the Lightning wasn’t Meads’ pilot friend but another de Havilland test pilot from RAF 118 Squadron, Flight Lieutenant George Aird. Aird’s parachute opened just in time, and he landed through the roof of a nearby tomato greenhouse, breaking both legs and he was injured by the shards of glass that rained down on him.
George Aird lost consciousness on impact and was revived by the icy spray of the greenhouse’s sprinkler system. Remarkably, Aird survived the crash and the image Meads captured remains one of the most famous photographs in aviation history.
The second photograph by Jim Mead shows the explosion as the Lightning aircraft erupted after crashing nose first into the field.
Mick Sutterby, the tractor driver, wrote to eyemead in 2011: “There was not a big explosion when it crashed, just a loud ‘whhooooof’. I was about 200 yards from the crash scene. I saw men running out of the greenhouses and checking the scene of the crash. The works fire brigade were on the scene within a minute. Somewhere at home I have a picture of it burning. Although the picture shows it nose diving to the ground, in fact it was slowly turning over and it hit the ground upside down nose first.”
The crash caused a stir at Hatfield. These two photos from a light aircraft show the crash site at Hatfield aerodrome in Hertfordshire and the tomato glasshouses where the pilot ended up.
Hatfield Aerodrome was a private airfield and aircraft factory owned by Geoffrey de Havilland, located in the English town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire from 1930 until its closure and redevelopment in the 1990s.
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Dismissed as Fake Photos
Mike Sutterby, the tractor driver remembers: “I believe the photographer had his photo restricted by the Air Ministry for – I think – about 3 months because the plane was secret. He then took it to the Daily Mail who said it was a fake. The photo was eventually published by the Daily Mirror. From there it went round the world, and I remember seeing a copy in the RAF museum at Hendon. I recollect the photographer usually photographed hunting scenes for magazines like The Field.”
Jim Meads reportedly received £1,000 from The Daily Mirror for the photos, which featured as a centre page spread in the newspaper on the 9th October 1962. Given that Butterby wrote his recollection in 2011, nearly fifty years later, we’ll forgive his slight error. According to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, £1,000 in 1962 is equivalent to approximately £22,090 in 2024.
Daily Mirror – Tuesday 9th October 1962
Why did the Electric Lightning crash?
The English Electric Lightning was a cutting-edge supersonic interceptor of its time, but on this day, a technical malfunction caused the jet to lose control.
During a demonstration flight for the de Havilland Red Top air-to-air missile program, a fire broke out in the aircraft’s reheat zone. Unburnt fuel in the rear fuselage ignited due to a small crack in the jet pipe, compromising the tailplane actuator anchorage.
This weakened the tailplane control system, which failed as the aircraft approached its final descent at just 100 feet. Fortunately, the nose pitched up, allowing test pilot George Aird enough time to eject safely.
George Aird ejected just moments before the aircraft struck the ground, narrowly escaping what could have been a fatal accident. The ejection seat, a marvel of aviation safety technology, performed as intended, saving Aird’s life despite the extremely low altitude.
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a British supersonic jet fighter aircraft, known for its exceptional speed and climb rate. Designed in the 1950s and entering service in 1960, it was the only all-British supersonic fighter ever built. It served primarily with the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an interceptor designed to defend against high-speed Soviet bombers during the Cold War.
The English Electric Lightning F1 was a de Havilland development aircraft, single-seat fighters delivered from 1959, with only a total of 19 ever built (plus one static test airframe). It carried nose-mounted twin 30 mm ADEN cannon, two Firestreak missiles, VHF Radio and Ferranti AI-23 “AIRPASS” radar. Key features of the Lightning F1 include:
- Mach 2+ speed, making it one of the fastest aircraft of its era.
- Twin Rolls-Royce Avon 210R engines, uniquely stacked vertically in the fuselage for compactness.
- A delta-wing design, enhancing maneuverability at high speeds.
- An inflight refuelling probe for long range missions.
- A revolutionary rate of climb, allowing it to reach operational altitude faster than almost any other jet.
The Lightning was retired in the late 1980s but remains celebrated for its cutting-edge performance and its role in British aviation history.
Martin-Baker Ejection Seat
The ejector seat on the English Electric Lightning F1 was typically the Martin-Baker Mk.4. Martin-Baker is a renowned British company specializing in ejection seat technology, and their seats were integral to the safety systems of the Electric Lightning.
The English Electric Lightning was designed for extreme speed over Mach 2, and rapid climbs, often operating in high-stress environments. This made the ejection seat a critical safety feature, as accidents could occur during high-speed maneuvers, low-altitude training, or technical failures.
Features of the Martin-Baker Ejection Seat on the Lightning
- Two-Stage Rocket System:
- The seat used an explosive charge to propel the pilot out of the cockpit, followed by a small rocket motor for additional altitude and clearance from the aircraft.
- This was especially important in the Lightning, given its high speeds and rapid climb rate.
- Zero-Zero Capability (Later Models):
- Early versions had limitations and were less effective at low speeds or altitudes.
- Later Martin-Baker seats, like the Mk.6, offered zero-zero capability (safe ejection at zero altitude and zero airspeed).
- Automatic Parachute Deployment:
- The seat included systems to automatically deploy the pilot’s parachute after separation from the seat, ensuring a safe descent.
- Leg Restraints:
- To prevent flailing injuries, straps secured the pilot’s legs during ejection.
- Survival Kit:
- The seat was equipped with a survival pack, including basic necessities like a radio beacon, flares, and supplies, to assist the pilot after landing.
- Safe Canopy Jettison:
- Before the ejection seat launched, explosive charges or mechanical systems jettisoned the canopy to provide a clear path for the pilot.
The Martin-Baker ejection seats on the Lightning and other aircraft have saved thousands of pilots’ lives and remain a gold standard in aviation safety technology.
Where are they now?
Jim Meads, who was a legendary hunting photographer, passed away on 20 June 2024, just short of his 94th birthday.
Flying Officer George Aird (Retd) was back in the cockpit within six months and flying Lightnings again just a year after the accident. He retired from de Havillands, later British Aerospace, in 1983 but continued flying for executive and airline operations until his 65th birthday in 1993.
We were intrigued by the various ages reported on the young tractor driver, Mike Sutterby. Some accounts had him at 15 years old, others stated his age was 23. Here’s the clue: “I followed my father into work at de Havilland, Hatfield in 1954 when I was 15,” he wrote to eyemead. So there you have it – Sutterby was 23 years old in 1962.
In 1963, the newly established British Aircraft Corporation absorbed English Electric. The BAC Lightning, produced in 16 variants, served with the air forces of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and remained in operation with the RAF from 1959 to 1988. Over its 34-year history, a total of 337 English Electric Lightning aircraft were built, the F1 was just the first model.
So, there you have it. An extraordinary tale about an extraordinary photograph of an extraordinary event.
Further reading from our affiliates, Amazon
The English Electric Lightning F.1 (Allied Wings) by Phil H. Listemann, Paperback, 2017
The English Electric Lightning Story by Martin W Bowman, Hardcover, 2010
Resources
ASN Aircraft accident 13-SEP-1962 English Electric Lightning F1 XG332
118 Squadron – Personnel 002 George Aird
The Funny Noise with the email from eye witness, Mike Sutterby
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