๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐พ๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ ๐พ๐๐ง๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฅ
On Jun. 7, 1983ย Royal Navy Sea Harrierย ZA176 performed an emergency landing aboard Cargo Ship Alraigo. The news footage in this post features the recovery of Sea Harrier ZA176 and Sub-Lt Ian Watson after the Alraigo docked in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, June 1983.
Noteworthy when inexperiencedย Royal Navy pilot Ian โSoapyโ Watson got lost flying a Sea Harrier jump jet and landed the ยฃ7 million aircraft on the deck of a container ship senior officers reprimanded him for incompetence.
But, as reported byย The Telegraph, in 2007 emerged that behind the scenes they were laying the blame elsewhere to try to get out of a ยฃ570,000 compensation bill.
In fact a file released on May 31, 2007 at the National Archives describes how Sub-Lt Watson, 25, โincurred the Commander in Chief of the Fleetโs Displeasureโ for displaying an unsatisfactory standard of fundamental airmanship.
But the Ministry of Defence file shows that he had completed only 75 per cent of the recommended flying hours in training before being pressed into service and was allowed to take an aircraft with a knownย radio defect.
An unnamed senior officer commented: โI am speechless, as was Watson.โ Sub-Lt Watson had taken off fromย the carrierย HMS Illustrious off the Spanish coast on Jun. 7, 1983 to conduct aย NATOย search exercise.
The crew of the 2,300-ton Spanish container ship Alraigo won a salvage claim and shared ยฃ340,000, with the remaining ยฃ230,000 going to the owners of the vessel.