In June 1986, Panavia Tornado IDS 43+24 of the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment was lost during a low-level training flight over Mid Wales. The aircraft had taken off from RAF Cottesmore on a night terrain-following, or ground-following, sortie. These exercises were designed to train Tornado crews to fly at very low level, following the contours of hills, valleys and reservoirs.
The crew were Oberleutnant Peter Kastner, a West German Luftwaffe pilot, and Squadron Leader John Philip Towl, RAF navigator. The aircraft was operating in the Elan Valley area when it crashed into high ground above the Claerwen Valley, near Claerwen Dam.
The Training Flight
The Tornado was a fast, two-seat strike aircraft designed for low-level operations. During a terrain-following sortie the pilot would fly extremely low, using the shape of the land as cover while maintaining speed and avoiding rising ground. The Elan Valley, with its reservoirs, steep hills and winding valleys, was often used by military aircraft for low-flying training.
Earlier weather information had reportedly suggested suitable conditions, but the weather deteriorated. As the Tornado crossed the Claerwen Valley, the crew appear to have found themselves too low and too close to rising ground.
The Crash near Claerwen
As the aircraft approached the hillside, O/Lt Kastner took evasive action and attempted to manoeuvre away from the rising ground. The Tornado was reportedly tipped onto one wing in an effort to avoid the mountain.
Squadron Leader Towl realised the aircraft was unlikely to clear the terrain and attempted to eject. Tragically, the ejection was unsuccessful and he was killed. O/Lt Kastner remained with the aircraft, which crashed into the hillside near Claerwen Reservoir. He was killed instantly.
Crew
| Name | Service | Role | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oberleutnant Peter Kastner | Luftwaffe / West German Air Force | Pilot | Killed |
| Squadron Leader John Philip Towl | Royal Air Force | Navigator | Killed |
Inquiry Findings
The subsequent RAF inquiry concluded that the aircraft was lost after the pilot became disorientated following a failed low-level abort in deteriorating weather. As a result of that disorientation, the pilot manoeuvred the aircraft into a position from which recovery was not possible. The deaths of both officers were recorded as accidental.
Remembering the Incident
The loss of Tornado 43+24 is one of several aircraft crash stories connected with the Elan Valley and the surrounding hills. Like the wartime training accidents before it, the crash is a reminder of the risks faced by aircrews training over Mid Wales, where weather, high ground and low-level flying could quickly become deadly.
