A ROYAL Navy pilot from Somerset who avoided crashing a 60-year-old aircraft with a failed engine into a packed crowd of spectators at RNAS Culdrose air day has been awarded the Air Force Cross.
Lieutenant Commander Chris Götke was flying a Sea Fury T20 as part of the Historic Flight display at the 2014 Air Day when the plane began to lose power during his aerobatic display.
As a crowd of over 21,000 people watched, the Sea Fury began billowing smoke and started to lose altitude rapidly leaving Lt Cdr Götke with the unenviable choice of bailing out or staying with the aircraft.
“For about 15 seconds I felt pure terror,” he said.
“The engine had begun to vibrate as I came out of a loop but I wasn’t unduly concerned – thinking that it was a minor rough running engine.
“I also couldn’t see the smoke coming out of the back of the aircraft.
“I was at about 1,800 feet when I put the power on and nothing happened – it was the most horrible shock in the world.
“I pulled up the gear, reducing drag and when the aircraft started to fly I decided that I would stay with the aircraft and try and get her down in the best landing possible.”
Despite the loss of the engine, Lt Cdr Götke, who is married with two daughters and lives in Somerset, employed all of his flying skill and knowledge by raising the undercarriage and reducing drag as he came close to the ground.
Attempting to land on the runway he got one wheel down while the other locked, resulting in the Sea Fury’s undercarriage collapsing and it veering off the runway.
Harmlessly coming to a rest on the grass, the aircraft sustained only minor external damage while Lt Cdr Gotke had no significant injuries.
His citation reads: “His extraordinary and instinctive flying skills prevented the very real chance of a catastrophic civilian loss of life and minimised damage to a historically important aircraft in one of the finest examples of gallantry in the air during peacetime.”
Lt Cdr Götke, who is the Commanding Officer of the Historic Flight based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, said: “I am honoured to be awarded the Air Force Cross – I was shocked but extremely pleased when I was told.
“It was a terrifying experience and there were conflicting thoughts in my head at first about what I should do but once I decided I could get the aircraft down safely I knew that was the choice I was going to make.”
Commanding Officer of RNAS Culdrose, Captain Adrian Orchard said: “Lt Cdr Chris Gotke proved himself to be an outstanding aviator showing incredible skill and bravery.”
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy.
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