Sgurr Na Stri Skye A wonderful moving day and a visit to the USA F111F Crash site.

On the 29 June 2019 I was asked along with Adrian Trendall a local Skye Mountain Guide to accompany the brother and sister to a aircraft crash site where they lost their Dad in December 1982 . At that time I was a the leader of the small RAF Mountain Rescue Team From Kinloss that located the crash on a wild December night in 1982 .   (See my blog for details)

The USA F111F crashed on the small but incredibly craggy peak Sgurr na Stri just above Loch Coruisk on the Island of Skye. I apologise to the others who were involved on the call out from RAF Kinloss MRT for keeping this visit low key. This was a difficult day for Steven and Sara the brother and sister as their father was killed in the crash along with another crewman.

This was their first visit to the mountain where their father died on Dec 1982. They had made the long journey from the USA to be here.

Elgol

I went over to Skye the night before as it’s a 3 hour drive from home and stayed in the Broadford Hostel “Skye Base Camp”  It was an early start and the drive to Elgol was as always breath taking. The tight roads the views of Blaven and the single track road then steep descent to the sea are always invigorating.  Adrian had arranged to meet at Elgol and we were to be taken over by Boat “Misty Islands Boat Trips”  They were wonderful to us and Adrian had spoken prior to our visit. On our arrival they were so kind and thoughtful to Sarah and Steven.

It was good to meet Steven and Sarah as we had been communicating prior to their visit . They were lovely folk yet this would be a hard day for them . It was a beautiful morning the sea was mirror calm and it was already hot.  This was a rare day in Skye there was not a cloud in the Sky and it would be a stunning but poignant day.

The trip over was perfect and helped with the stories of the skipper about the area the wild life and history.As always the short journey by boat the hills and the sea took us into another world. These hugely rugged hills that fall to the sea and the sea was so calm and still. The colours of the sea so beautiful yet so hard to describe and the famous “bad step ” that follows the coastal path looked superb.

Turquoise water below the bad step,

The Misty Isles boat drops you at the small jetty then a short walk to the head of the Loch Coruisk  then its a walk over the river and onto the path. Its a famous anchorage and their were many sailing boats here today. It’s stunning just going part round the Loch as this hidden part of the Cuillin open up. This is a huge wild place with the Black cliffs and the Loch make it a setting that few ever forget. It is an artist dream Turner painted here and your mind wanders at the impact of the black gabbro cliffs and the sea.

Yet our hill is not one of the famous Munro’s and most of the way up our incredible hill there are no paths. It is a complicated mountain with so many buttress and cliffs it will also be tricky route finding.  It was very hard going in the intense heat there were a few midges and a breeze. Adrian knows this hill well and he picked our line gaining height up ramps and rakes that traversed across in places steep ground.

You have to concentrate all the time and Steven and Sara were doing so well despite the heat and the emotion of the huge day for them.

You have to be so careful on ground like this be careful of your feet and the rock was hot to touch.

All the time the views of the sea the main Cullin Ridge, the small Isles looked magnificent. The Islands were in view all the time it was so clear and stunning.

Adrian picked the route up making it look effortless I have been here often and I always pick a different line up this hill. It was still hard going and soon we came across the first wreckage from the aircraft. We knew that this would be hard for Steven and Sara and we stopped often they took it all in and I felt for them. We gave them some privacy it had been along time for them to reflect what had happend here.

After a lot of hard work and effort we reached the main crash site and all sat with our thoughts. Sara was working so hard, so determined to be here I felt for her, this is not a place where you have to concentrate all the time due to the terrain. For me though I have visited this place often it is so important to me. On that winters night on December 1982 was one of the hardest call outs I had been. I learned so much as a young leader yet despite that we could do nothing for the crew that we located. We stayed there all night in awful weather frozen and cold and were not relieved till just before midday. It became a huge night of survival for us. Few will understand how remote it was then in 1982 with no communications , no mobile phones, Gps, simple gear and the weather against us.

I always felt for the families the crew left behind. To me being with Sara and Steven was a huge honour and one I will never forget. It is rare for Mountain Rescue to meet those we recovered in my early day in the teams, nowadays with social media things have changed.

The effort both emotional and physical to be here for Sara and Steven was incredible. My heart felt for them and the hugs we gave each other meant much more than words will ever describe. I am sure that they got some comfort from the visit. I did it helps me to get these tragedies into perspective and to meet the relatives that we tried so hard for.

Sadly we were catching the last boat out at 1700 so we had to keep moving. We soon got on the top of our hill it was still very hard work in the sun. At last we reached the top. We came down the ridge a lot easier than the way up. It was a good path most of the way it’s a busy wee hill nowadays. The sun was incredible yet draining add to that emotion and the physical exertion it was a hard day for us all.

Two military jets flew by as we were near the site they were American and that was so poignant. Also we heard the SAR helicopter on the ridge hopefully just training.It was more hard work on the way down as we got down to the Loch passing the huge slabs . We stopped and cooled down in the little streams that were still running.

Even though we drunk lots of fluid and tried to cool down we were still dehydrated the temperatures were over 28 all day. Back down on the path it was surreal we saw a wedding party complete with bride and groom what a stunning location. We had a dip in the river (involuntary) on the way to the boat. That helped cool us down we needed it. We were on time for the boat Adrian had shot of to ensure we made it and that first drink in the boat was great.

We headed back to Elgol the weather was still amazing the sea flat calm and it had been some day. We were alone with our thoughts on the way back it was special and what a place to be. I find that days like this even years after a tragedy help the family find some sort of that word so well used “closure “

I still find it hard to do things like this emotionally but it helps me as that dark wild night in Dec 1982 shaped my life and those who were with me. The meeting of Sara and Steven talking about their Dad his life and loves and asking about our part in the tragedy all help. Talking is so therapeutic. I have met two lovely folk who I hope will remain friends for ever.  Adrian was great he is such a kind man and meeting Bridgette and their kindness to us all was heart – warming.

Adrian

After a shower we had a meal later on at the Sligachan Hotel and then I left them heading back to Adrian’s for the night. I had a noisy night in the bunkhouse and it was misty in the morning and the midges were out. I headed home. What a couple of days thanks again to Sara, Steven,Adrian and Bridget for an incredible day.

Special thanks to  Misty Island Boat trips for making our visit so special and all your kindness. The world is full of many good people sometimes we forget this. I hope this helps others in times of grief and it’s “always good to talk ”

Lest we forget

“At about 8 pm on the night of 7 December 1982 after descending to about 1000 ft over Loch Scavaig, an F-111F aircraft struck the southern face of the 1620 foot peak Sgurr na Stri,  The unarmed aircraft, serial number 70-2377, was on a regular training mission from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The pilot in the left hand seat of the aircraft was Major (Lt Col. Selectee) Burnley L. (“Bob”) Rudiger Jr., aged 37, from Norfolk, Virginia. Major Rudiger was survived by a wife and two children who were then resident at Risby, Suffolk.

The weapons system operator in the right seat was 1st Lt. Steven J. Pitt, 28, from East Aurora, New York. Lt. Pitt was survived by a wife and two children, then resident at Icklingham, Suffolk.”