As QRA at RAF Coningsby we scrambled into a typically English overcast late Autumn morning...
Contact had been lost with an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to London, Heathrow. ATC was still tracking it and although it was on course it was in a shallow descent someway before it was due to lose altitude and commence approach. We were given permission to go supersonic and made our approach to the Airbus from the rear..
It started a turn, again keeping to it's assigned course, but still descending, and we rolled to turn with it before continuing to close..
My wingman was the first to notice. 'Something doesn't look right about the configuration Lead..'
'It's the doors!' I gasped. ' All of the doors are open..'
We made a slow pass, and sure enough all of the doors, passenger and cargo, had somehow opened. But how? A bomb? A mechanical fault? And what of the crew and passengers?
As we passed the cockpit I spotted a torch flashing in morse code. E-L-E-C S-T-O-R-M || M-L-T-P-L L-I-G-H-T-N-G S-T-R-K-S || L-O-S-T P-R-S-R || P-S-G-R-S C-R-W O-N O-X-Y || L-N-D-G L-H-R A-S-A-P||
I passed the message to base: They had flown through an electrical storm and had suffered multiple lightning strikes. The aircraft's electric systems had obviously been affected which had caused the doors to unlock and blow open. This had caused a decompression (hence the shallow descent, to try to minimise the effects) and crew and passengers were on oxygen. They were intending to land at London Heathrow still.
ATC took moments to digest this and the response was quick - get them to another airfield, but not Heathrow. The risk that this was a ruse for a terrorist attack was too great.
Before I had a chance to reply to the airliner we dropped into the clouds and I called Two in closer as we stuck grimly to the Airbus, not wanting to lose sight of it in the descent..
As we dropped through the overcast I moved up and passed on the message to the airliner crew. Their response - N-C-D || L-H-R O-N-L-Y
Querying base for orders we were told to to just stick with the Airbus and while investigations into the passengers and crew continued. If this was a terrorist attack or a madman in the pilot seat, would we be cleared to shoot down the airliner?
We were running out of time, the aircraft was still descending and we were now coming up on populated areas. A shootdown now could cause catastrophic damage on the ground..
And then we were out of time for a decision, as we came over Central London, with visibility still poor in the low cloud and rain squalls...
The Airbus lowered it's undercarriage slowly. They must be using some emergency method..
I closed to get a better look and signalled to the crew the wheels looked to be down OK.
I dropped back to watch as the airliner made it's final approach. Orders were still to remain on standby to shoot it down if necessary. What did they expect us to do at this late stage? Strafe it on the runway?
And then it was down and stopped on the runway. We pulled clear as emergency vehicles swarmed around it and a fleet of air ambulances were cleared in to begin ferrying the most severely hurt to hospitals. We didn't see any of that as we headed back to base, treating Londoners to a flyby as we crossed the capital again, although whether they could see us in the murky weather is debateable..
And home to a rainy afternoon, Maybe there'll be something good to watch on the telly...