Hero pilot averted air show disaster after co-pilot hit throttle of giant bomber by mistake

A retired RAF pilot was hailed a hero today after he wrestled a bomber away from a crowd of spectators and houses when the giant aircraft accidentally took off at an air show.
The giant Victor bomber - named Teasin' Tina - was only supposed to taxi down the runway and stop for a photoshoot before returning to the hangar.
But the bungling 'co-pilot' - an engineer with no flying experience - hit the throttle by mistake and the 75-tonne bomber lurched 150 feet into the air.

Stunned pilot Bob Prothero, 70, grabbed the controls as the Victor bomber veered off the runway and climbed into the air on a collision course with the crowd and a nearby housing estate.
Quick-thinking Mr Prothero, who last flew a Victor in the 1980s and whose flying licence has long expired, took the controls and wrestled the gigantic plane to safety.

It landed in a field at the end of a runway without a single casualty or scratch to the aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched an investigation into the incident at the Cold War Jets day at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, near Lutterworth, Leicestershire, on May 3.

A report later blamed the co-pilot, who has not been named, saying he 'froze' under pressure and forgot to hit the brakes.

Yesterday, grandfather-of-four Mr Prothero described his heroics as 'the most terrifying nine seconds of my life'.
Speaking from his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the former RAF Group Captain said: 'I was petrified. There wasn't time to think about anything. Everything was pure instinct on that day.
'It all happened extremely fast. I was shouting at the co-pilot to pull the throttle back.

'For some reason he never did and I saw the nose rise into the air, I thought "Oh God here we go, how are we going to get out of this one?"
'So I had to make a snap decision: "Do I try to land the plane or do I fly round in a circle and land properly?

'I put the nose down and noticed that we were well and truly airborne but because of the crosswind we were not over the runway.

'I thought "Where are we and what can we do to rescue the situation?"

As planned: The Victor bomber heads off down the runway, where it was supposed to come to a halt so aviation fans could take some photographs



'Thankfully, I managed to pitch the plane back towards the runway and away from any spectators.
'My only concern was getting the plane down as quickly and safely as possible. It was the most terrifying nine seconds of my life.'
The incident took place during a display at the Cold War Jets day at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome.
Mr Prothero was among a two-man crew on board the ageing Victor, which was meant to taxi at low speed down the runway and stop for enthusiasts' cameras.
But the official report into the incident revealed the co-pilot 'froze' when Mr Prothero ordered him to pull off the throttle and powered up by mistake.
In a two-minute video posted on YouTube, the Victor is seen swerving to the left after takeoff and veering back to the right before touching down one-wheeled on the grass verge.

One onlooker is heard asking: 'Should it be doing that?' while others are heard shrieking in disbelief.
The aircraft is designed to use a drag parachute as a brake, but Bob didn't have time to deploy it.

Instead, he was forced to ditch the plane into a field at the end of the runway, coming to a stop in a cloud of dust.

He said: 'Although I touched down on the grass I still managed to keep it under control. All that was left to do was get out and kiss the ground.
'Nobody could really believe what had happened. There were people slapping me on the back and congratulating me on not crashing the thing and ruining the day.'
David Walton, managing director of the aerodrome, said: 'It was a brilliant piece of airmanship from Bob. If the aircraft had stalled the day could so easily have ended in tragedy.'
The co-pilot, an engineer who works on the upkeep of the grounded bomber, was drafted in to control the throttle for the air show.

The CAA - which launched an investigation because neither Mr Prothero or the co-pilot are officially licensed to fly - today confirmed that they will not be taking legal action.
Ian Weston, head of enforcement, said: 'The aircraft took off because the engineer did not shut down the engines when told to do so by the pilot.
'The pilot attempted to shut the engines down but the aircraft lifted off.
'The problem arose as a result of the engineer "freezing" at a time of high stress. This is a recognised state of mind which can affect certain individuals.'
The British-built Handley Page Victor was part of the nation's 'V-Bomber' nuclear deterrent during the Cold War and also served in the Falklands and the Gulf War.
Bruntingthorpe-based Teasin' Tina is one of only two Victor bombers that remain in a working condition.

'The problem arose as a result of the engineer "freezing" at a time of high stress. This is a recognised state of mind which can affect certain individuals.'

Quoted:
That's  a neat plane

Quoted:
That's  a neat plane

Quoted:
That's a very polite way of saying the guy choked when he realized he fucked up.

Quoted:
An "engineer" huh? I'm shocked.

Quoted:
An "engineer" huh? I'm shocked.

Quoted:
Why for a fast taxi was the flaps deployed for take off?

Quoted:
https://youtu.be/TGjPu6DPzWU

Quoted:
I am calling "bullshit". That was intentional.

Quoted:
I am calling "bullshit". That was intentional.

Quoted:

Is it legal for someone without a pilot's license to operate a plane like that?

Quoted:
I am calling "bullshit". That was intentional.