Here is the incident explained with the root cause identified....an error in engine servicing....failed or maloperated technology tells no lies. Navy plane nearly crashed into sea after metal cable snapped and injured 8 sailors | Daily Mail Online The stored energy in highly tensioned steel cables is a killer when the cable parts.In this case the arrestor cable was over tensioned by the aircraft whose engine power had not been appropriate to landing due to an engine control fault. The E 2C Hawkeye has a Rolls Royce Allison T56 turbo prop engine... air grabbing props.If the aircraft had been a piston job,it would have been lost.This turboprop must have given a rapid response to a call for full power and prevent a stall into the sea. The recovery... overall a credit to the airmanship and professionalism of the crew.
I witnessed a similar incident but it was on an airfield many years ago.There were no lives lost and it was not as serious but it ended in the aircraft overshooting and pandemonium breaking out.Had the aircraft crossed the boundary fence,it would have been on to the main Gainsborough-Louth Road.Ironically we had traffic lights on the 17 end of the runway to cover take offs using the 35 end. It was on summer day in the afternoon but viability was not very good,It was afternoon NAFFI break and I was seating on the crewroom work bench which was ideal to have a good view of the 17/35 main runway which was my usual position for NAFFI breaks if around the squadron hangar.Movements were frequent with three Lincoln and two Canberra squadrons at Hemswell so there was plenty of air traffic to interest anyone watching,day or night. I noticed a Lincoln touching down almost halfway down the 35 runway and thought he's approaching too fast.When the pilot realised he would run out of runway,he took off in circuits and bumps manner and came round again.The second time,the same thing happened so applying full throttle he did another circuit.This time was no better and he touched down in virtually same place and consequently continued at speed beyond the threshhold at the 17 end.The aircraft careered on to the boundary fence when it stopped, lop sided. .Alarms up.. fire and ambulance sections immediately to the scene along with members of our squadron being the first there.The first thing that greeted us was the lads in the aircraft throwing out their kitbags and clearing the aircraft.The event was quickly managed by one of our aircrew officers who called out..."it's alright lads,there's no blood"and we were stood down. The aircraft was a No 199 Squadron (ECM) aircraft ex Gib,recognised by its red spinners.The pilot. I remember was a well known Canadian Sgt Pilot, a real character who I note is referenced in the publication "Lincoln at War" but this incident is not mentioned.A few years ago the incident was being discussed at a reunion and one of our party said.I remember that well,I was on the aircraft.He was in Air Traffic Control and had gone out on an exercise to Gib on a jolly. I never got to know what the reason was for the error...similar incident reports on one own's squadron tended to be leaked to groundcrew. Later on after I was demobbed, I heard of a similar incident on the 28 runway end,a short runway which,any overshooting could find find an aircraft sliding down the Lincolnshire Ridge into the village of Hemswell. The aircraft was a No 83 Squadron Lincoln whose brakes failed on landing and to keep the aircraft within the airfield boundary and prevent a roll down the ridge,the Flight Engineer raised the undercart and the aircraft slithered to a halt. Wartime incidents as this must have been common and particularly hazardous if carrying bomb loads.In my era,all they carried were 25 lb practice bombs for training on the bomb ranges.
