Commander John Neilson
Naval pilot who was forced to eject and nearly killed after a vulture flew into his aircraft’s engine
COMMANDER JOHN NEILSON, who has died aged 90, was once left for dead, but instead became one of the Navy’s most experienced pilots. On October 31 1958, Neilson was flying a Sea Vixen jet conducting hot weather trials over northern Nigeria to assess the aircraft at maximum speed at low level, when he “looked up from checking instruments to see a very large vulture directly ahead and slightly above my flight path. The only way to avoid it seemed to be to duck underneath. Unfortunately the vulture had the same idea and the two of us met at about 100ft with the vulture entering the port engine … The engine exploded causing a massive fire in the port wing which rapidly spread to the main fuselage and caused further fires.”
Neilson and his observer, Lieutenant “Willie” Stewart, ejected below the minimum safe height of 200ft with no time to transmit a mayday call. Stewart’s seat did not separate from his parachute before crashing through a tree, which probably saved his life, while Neilson landed some distance away, sustaining severe spine and chest injuries.
Not believing that Neilson had survived, Stewart rode a native pony towards a railway line, but fell off and injured his back. Meanwhile, Neilson lay immobilised in the hot sun, vultures circling overhead, until at nightfall he was found by natives who built a fire to ward off snakes. Eight hours later a missionary and his wife arrived by Jeep and administered morphine, but judged that Nielson’s injuries were so bad that he would not withstand a rough ride in the Jeep. Instead he was carried by stretcher, and then train, to hospital in Kano. From there he was flown home in a specially chartered Stratocruiser, which suffered an engine failure. It was decided not to transfer him to another aircraft, so he lay on board during an engine change at Barcelona before flying on to Northolt.
John Alexander Neilson was born on July 27 1927 in Dalry, north of Ayr, into a family of iron founders. After the family firm collapsed in the Depression, he was educated at home by a governess until, at 14, being sent to board at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh.
Neilson joined the Navy as a rating pilot in 1946 and during the Korean War, as a commissioned pilot in 812 Naval Air Squadron, flew the Firefly strike-fighter from the carrier Glory. He became expert at “bridge busting”, on one occasion disobeying orders by making two runs over the same terrain; the second bomb hit the centre span and cut a key supply route from the north. He was awarded the DSC for outstanding courage, skill and determination.
He volunteered for a second tour in Korea, but his flying skill led to him being sent to the Services Trials Unit and the Naval Air Fighter Development Unit (1952-53,) and in 1957 to the Empire Test Pilot School.
After his crash Neilson was not allowed to fly again in aircraft with ejector seats. However, he requalified as a helicopter pilot, served as senior pilot in the first Wessex squadron, and by 1963 was commanding officer of Helicopter Test Squadron at Boscombe Down. After two years (1966-67) in the carrier Victorious, he was promoted to commander and served on the naval staffs in Washington, Yeovilton, Northwood and the MOD before being appointed OBE and retiring in 1977.
After the Navy, Neilson worked for British Aerospace and then Westland Helicopters. He had accumulated more than 4,250 hours, including 407 day and night deck landings, in 67 types of aircraft.
At 60 he retired to Yetminster, Dorset, where he was a member of the local Conservative party and was soon elected chairman of the parish council. Golf and bridge became his main occupations.
Neilson married Audrey Lea in 1954. She died in 2016 and he is survived by their two sons.