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Holden ' s Lightning flight XM135 at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Incident

Date 22 July 1966

Summary Unqualified person takes off after engaging afterburner by mistake during ground test

Site RAF Lyneham

Aircraft

Aircraft type English Electric Lightning F.1

Operator RAF Maintenance Command

Registration XM.135

Flight origin RAF Lyneham

Destination RAF Lyneham

Occupants 1

Crew 1

Fatalities 0

Survivors 1

On 22 July 1966, Walter "Taffy" Holden, a 39-year-old engineer in command of No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF with limited experience flying small single-engine trainer aircraft, inadvertently engaged the afterburner of a Mach 2.0–capable English Electric Lightning during ground testing at RAF Lyneham . Unable to disengage the afterburner, Holden ran down the runway, narrowly missing a crossing fuel bowser and a de Havilland Comet taking off, before taking off himself.…