The RAF Engineer Who Flew A Fighter Jet By Accident

Mistakes at work can be stressful, but few are as intense as the one made by Taffy Holden on July 22, 1966.

Scheduled Ground Testing

On that day, Walter “Taffy” Holden, a 39-year-old engineer with the RAF’s No. 33 Maintenance Unit, was tasked with ground testing the English Electric Lightning, a supersonic fighter interceptor known for its remarkable speed and climb rate. The Lightning, introduced in 1960, was powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets, capable of reaching Mach 2.0.

With no pilots available for a week, a test pilot suggested that Holden—who had some flying experience—perform the test himself.

An Engineer in the Cockpit

Although Holden had earned his pilot’s wings in 1943, his flying experience was limited to light aircraft like the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Chipmunk—planes nowhere near the Lightning’s performance capabilities. Nevertheless, the ground test seemed simple enough. All Holden needed to do was taxi the plane, spool the engines, and use the brakes to stop the aircraft while relaying hand signals to the support crew.

The test began with the canopy removed, wiring hanging from the side, and the landing gear locked. Holden climbed into the Lightning without a helmet or radio and began the test.

A Sudden Takeoff

Everything was going smoothly until the second test. Holden accidentally pushed the throttle past the afterburner gate, igniting the afterburners. Within seconds, the Lightning accelerated down the runway, narrowly avoiding a fuel tanker and a passing de Havilland Comet. As he reached the end of the runway, Holden realized his only option was to pull back the throttle—too late. The Lightning lifted off the ground, with Holden in the cockpit.

Holden now found himself airborne, with no canopy, no helmet, no radio, and very little experience flying a jet. He briefly considered ejecting, but the ejection seat was disabled as the aircraft was in “test mode.”

A Harrowing Landing

After a few tense moments, Holden managed to disable the afterburners, slowing the aircraft down. He circled back to attempt a landing. The first two tries failed, as the Lightning’s high landing speed, due to its swept-wing design, made it difficult even for seasoned pilots. On his third attempt, Holden slammed the tail into the runway and detached the drogue chute on impact. Remarkably, he managed to bring the aircraft to a stop, less than 100 yards from the end of the runway.

Holden’s unexpected flight lasted 12 minutes, an experience he likely never forgot.