Not every member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) serves as a pilot; a large amount of attention is also given to the crew responsible for maintaining the aircraft. Consider Engineer Walter Holden for instance, who found himself in a dangerous situation during routine work on an English Electric Lightning. While seated in the cockpit, he accidentally activated the take-off sequence, sending the aircraft speeding 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 first test went without issue, but during the second, Walter Holden accidentally pushed the throttle past the afterburner gate. Unfamiliar with the Lightning, he didn’t know how to turn it off.
The aircraft began to accelerate rapidly. He narrowly avoided a fuel tanker and a low-flying de Havilland Comet, but soon found himself heading straight toward a village at the end of the runway. With no way to stop and time running out, Holden had no option but to take off.
A touchy landing
Once in the air, Walter Holden shut off the afterburner and focused on landing. He made two attempts but had difficulty aligning the Lightning correctly. On his third attempt, he succeeded, though his lack of experience caused him to land the aircraft as if it were a taildragger. This resulted in the tail striking the runway and detaching the drogue parachute, which could have aided in slowing the Lightning down.
Even so, Holden managed to bring XM135 to a stop with just 300 feet of runway remaining. The entire flight lasted around 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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