Aircraft flying/landing without (or dead) crew?

[Volker_Nemsch]

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I recently stumbled accross the story of a MiG-23 flying a long distance without pilot (in 1989) and the miraculous landing of a Convair F-106 Delta Dart (in 1970), the famous "Cornfield Bomber".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Belgian_MiG-23_crash

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornfield_Bomber

My question is, if there were similar occurences during WW1? Some of the early aircraft had extremly stable flight attitudes (Taube, B.E.2).

At least I heard or read, that there was a British recon aircraft (a B.E.-type?) that landed almost intact far behind the German lines with a dead crew, after being intercepted by more than one German aircraft. The machine went down after the fuel tanks were empty.

Unfortunately I don't have any source for that strange story. Or was it simply a hoax on April Fool's Day?
:huh:
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[austin08]

Hello Volker,

You are thinking of an incident on 17/12/1917 when a 3 Squadron (AFC) RE8 A.3816 on artillery observation duty flown by Lt Sandy with Sgt Hughes as observer was attacked by a group of albatri.

After the attack the RE8 was observed to be seemingly continuing the patrol by those who had seen off the attackers.

Unknown to them a single bullet had killed both observer and pilot. The RE8 continued flying in ever expanding circles till the fuel ran out and made a relatively undamaged crash landing in british lines.

regards,
Daryl

[Barry Hickson]

Hello Volker,

You are thinking of an incident on 17/12/1917 when a 3 Squadron (AFC) RE8 A.3816 on artillery observation duty flown by Lt Sandy with Sgt Hughes as observer was attacked by a group of albatri.

After the attack the RE8 was observed to be seemingly continuing the patrol by those who had seen off the attackers.

Unknown to them a single bullet had killed both observer and pilot. The RE8 continued flying in ever expanding circles till the fuel ran out and made a relatively undamaged crash landing in british lines.

regards,
Daryl

:D You beat me to it Daryl!
Well done!:goggles:

[austin08]

Hi Barry
Coincidentally, yesterday I'd just received a copy of "The battle below " the unit history of 3 squadron afc. On the table by my computer within easy reach!
Cheers
Daryl

[josquin]

:D You beat me to it Daryl!
Well done!:goggles:

This incident also was the subject of some posts on the Forum
on 4 February 2013 (p. 2 of "Who was Cleary and the Spy,
April 1917?").

Josquin

[Volker_Nemsch]

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http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57953&highlight=Cleary+and+the+Spy
(post 11)
:magnify:

Thank you all for your quick answers.
^_^
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[Ransom E. Olds]

Volker: I recall another crewless landing story from another world war that might be worth mentioning. As I recall the incident a Dornier Do 217 was damaged in the vicinity of London during the Little Blitz of early 1944 and the crew bailed out. The plane continued to fly on for a considerable distance and executed a relatively good belly landing in a remote area. Perhaps someone on this forum can supply more details regarding this event. Ransom

[Volker_Nemsch]

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Honestly, I never heard about that incident during WW2. I would be curious to hear more about it...
:match:
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[MASTIFF]

I would recommend reading "Wings of Mystery" by Dale Titler. A whole chapter entitled "Derelicts and Ghost Planes" includes the Sandy/Hughes story as well as a couple more from both World Wars.

Cheers,
Tony

[Ransom E. Olds]

Volker: I'm fairly sure this is a true recollection from a published source, but can't be sure of the veracity of the original story. I have read "first person" accounts of the war I know are not in fact correct. A possible source might have been the old Royal Air Force Flying Review, in the late 1950s or early 1960s. If someone can confirm a crashed but near intact Do 217 recovered circa 1943-44 in England that would at least fit the story in a general way. Ransom

[Barrett]

There were several wing-folded flights by F-8 Crusaders in the 50s-60s. Most were successfully completed by some VEEERY careful aviating. But in one the pilot pulled the handle on takeoff while the 'sader continued straight ahead, snagged the runway over-run wire, and came to a rest.

Rather embarrassing, that...

[austin08]

As illustrated in "The Battle Below - Being the unit history of 3 Squadron A.F.C"
By H.N Wrigley 1935

[Ransom E. Olds]

Volker: Some time after my Saturday posts I realized my source on the Do 217 story was Eric Brown's Wings of the Luftwaffe. My account above is essentially correct, but some may feel my reference to the landing site of the bomber, which was in fact Cambridge, as "a remote area" was regrettable. Or, maybe you won't. Ransom

[Barry Hickson]

Volker: Some time after my Saturday posts I realized my source on the Do 217 story was Eric Brown's Wings of the Luftwaffe. My account above is essentially correct, but some may feel my reference to the landing site of the bomber, which was in fact Cambridge, as "a remote area" was regrettable. Or, maybe you won't. Ransom

:D Cambridge is certainly remote from Ransom!;)

[MASTIFF]

There were several wing-folded flights by F-8 Crusaders in the 50s-60s....



The odd Skyraider, too IIRC.

Tony

[James A. Pratt III]

There is a After the battle book that mentions the Do-217 landing after the crew bailed out and I believe it also mentions the same thing happening to a Do-17 in 1940. I can't remember the name of the book.

[PFFF]

Mason's "Battle over Britian"
see page 256 of a abandonded Do-217 that flew without a crew until it crashed on 20 October 1940

Ironically this book has a picture of another similar case p.482 {Picture at the right} that story is that of a Ju88 lost 27 November 1940 {not in book{!}

A third case is the B-24 Bomber Lady be Good which crash landed without a crew miles from where they parachuted in April 1943