Not every member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) serves as a pilot; there is also a lot of attention that must be given to the crew responsible for aircraft maintenance. Engineer Walter Holden, for example, encountered a dangerous situation while performing routine work on an English Electric Lightning. Sitting in the cockpit, he accidentally activated the take-off sequence, sending the aircraft racing down the runway.
Walter Holden trained as a pilot
In 1943, Walter “Taffy” Holden enlisted in the RAF while studying mechanical engineering. While he initially had no plans to become a pilot, he completed mandatory flight training on a de Havilland Tiger Moth and, later, on a Harvard aircraft.
After successfully finishing his training, he earned his pilot’s wings and went on to fly a de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk.
Performing routine maintenance
Walter Holden shifted his attention from aviation to focusing on his career in RAF engineering. Excelling in his duties, he advanced to lead the No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF at RAF Lyneham by 1966. The unit played a key role in the upkeep of aircraft like the English Electric Lightning, slated for retirement, as well as Canberras and the Gloster Meteor.
Needing to test aircraft XM135
To formally retire the fleet, Walter Holden required a pilot to evaluate aircraft XM135, but it would be over a week before one could arrive. Not wanting to delay, he decided to do it himself. His task was simply to taxi the Lightning on the ground to check different electrical systems—reaching high RPMs, shutting down the engine, and braking.
Since there was no plan for takeoff, Holden skipped the helmet and radio, using hand signals instead to coordinate with his ground crew. The plane lacked a canopy, the landing gear was fixed in the down position, and the ejector seat was non-operational.
Things take a turn…
The initial test went smoothly; however, during the second, Walter Holden accidentally pushed the throttle beyond the afterburner gate. Unfamiliar with the Lightning, he didn’t know how to shut it off.
The aircraft soon began accelerating rapidly. He narrowly avoided a fuel tanker and a low-flying de Havilland Comet but was quickly approaching a village at the end of the runway. With no way to stop and time slipping away, Holden had no choice but to take off.
A touchy landing
Once airborne, Walter Holden turned off the afterburner and concentrated on landing. He made two attempts but struggled to align the Lightning properly. On his third try, he succeeded, though his inexperience led him to land the aircraft as if it were a taildragger. This caused the tail to hit the runway, detaching the drogue parachute, which could have helped slow down the Lightning.
Despite this, Holden managed to bring XM135 to a stop with only 300 feet of runway left. The entire flight lasted approximately 12 minutes.
Walter Holden wasn’t punished for the incident
Despite the way he landed, the Lightning was repaired and returned to service until 1974, when it was put on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford. Holden emerged without a scratch, but was put on leave in Italy after the media caught wind of the story. He wasn’t punished, and only had to admit that he should have left the test to a pilot familiar with Lightnings.
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With this small slap on the wrist, he continued serving with the RAF until the early 1980s.
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