Holden's Lightning Flight

What happened

On 22 July 1966, Walter "Taffy" Holden, a 39-year-old engineer in command of No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF with limited experience flying small single-engine trainer aircraft, inadvertently engaged the afterburner of a Mach 2.0–capable English Electric Lightning during ground testing at RAF Lyneham . Unable to disengage the afterburner, Holden ran down the runway, narrowly missing a crossing fuel bowser and a de Havil…

Summary assembled by rule from the sources below

Sources