Litening Pod & Pylon fell off RAF Typhoon during flight

[IanH755]

Hi all,

Odd story popped up of an RAF Typhoon losing its centreline pylon with an attached Litening Pod (laser designator pod) fitted to it whilst on training over Haisthorpe, East Yorkshire last Friday (17th Jan 25).



The RAF collected the remains afterwards and issued the following statement -

RAF said:

“On Friday 17 Jan, a pylon from a Typhoon detached and landed in open ground.

“The RAF have recovered the equipment and are investigating the cause of it detaching from the aircraft.”

More on the story -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywnp838j5o

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/piece-fighter-jet-plumme...

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/raf-typhoon-pyl...

[swampy442]

Thats a very unusual occurrence, stores dislodged yes, but a whole pylon? Might have happened on the impact with the ground but the top section by the mount is split/unzipped. Strange

[Tony1963]

The only ways I can, off the top of my head, think of how that’s possible are either incorrect torque applied to the mounting bolts, or failure of the receptacles. It’ll be an easy investigation, I think.

[Scaleybrat]

I recall a Laarbruch Tornado GR1 losing a Skyshadow pod in the early 90s, cause of the release escapes me. A pylon detaching is a completely different ball game and something I’ve never heard of before. Are pylons role equipment installed by the RAF or are they already fitted on delivery from Warton? I should know the answer to that question but not sure about centreline fits. My point being that fingers might point at BAE S rather than the RAF.

[Marshall878]

Do the Typhoons have the ability to jettison roll equipment?

[Tony1963]

Marshall878 said:

Do the Typhoons have the ability to jettison roll equipment?

Yes, but you can’t jettison the pylon, only what is fitted to it.



Edit to add: or more correctly, they can release what is held by the Ejector Release Unit. The ERU is fitted to/within the pylon, or at least that used to be the way. No idea if Typhoon is radically different.

Edited by Tony1963 on Thursday 23 January 09:00

Edited by Tony1963 on Thursday 23 January 09:00

[Tony1963]

Well here we go…

Straight from en ex-RAF armourer who has just replied to me:

“Pylons are jettisonable on Typhoons, so it might be a wiring fault or the pilot binned it”

Edited by Tony1963 on Thursday 23 January 09:54

Edited by Tony1963 on Thursday 23 January 10:09

[Johnnybee]

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

[Tony1963]

Johnnybee said:

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

The aircraft or the canopy?

[eharding]

Scaleybrat said:

I recall a Laarbruch Tornado GR1 losing a Skyshadow pod in the early 90s, cause of the release escapes me. A pylon detaching is a completely different ball game and something I’ve never heard of before. Are pylons role equipment installed by the RAF or are they already fitted on delivery from Warton? I should know the answer to that question but not sure about centreline fits. My point being that fingers might point at BAE S rather than the RAF.

My sister's father-in-law was one of the first RAF Tornado pilots setting up the T3E in the early eighties - I remember him saying there was an issue in the very early days with the Tornado deciding to jettison all the external stores as the gear was retracted, much to the disappointment of all concerned - those on board and those in the general area on the ground.

[aeropilot]

Tony1963 said:

Johnnybee said:

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

The aircraft or the canopy?

[zspere]

Johnnybee said:

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

[5 In a Row]

I bet that was a bit chilly!

[Funk]

[Tony1963]

5 In a Row said:

I bet that was a bit chilly!

Just when you need that WWII pilot’s sheepskin, you ain’t wearing it.

[ATG]

zspere said:

Johnnybee said:

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

Just the new spider model. Move along. Nothing to see here.

[zspere]

ATG said:

zspere said:

Johnnybee said:

Apparently a Typhoon lost its canopy this morning, it landed safely.

Just the new spider model. Move along. Nothing to see here.

If it was an Italian Typhoon I guess it would be the Aperta model

[IanH755]

With two incidents of "objects dropping off the aircraft" I'd be very surprised if the Typhoon fleet wasn't grounded for a short term, minus the QRA, whilst a reset is carried out.

[RobbyJ]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceq9g47xqx1o

[TGCOTF-dewey]

In the pylon case, I'm pretty sure it was going well over Mach 1 when it happened as there was a QRA scramble that day and one of the fkers rattled my windows to the point I thought they were coming in. Big sonic boom over the N Y Moors.