WONZ 258 – Great Escapes: Sean Singleton-Turner

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Guest: Sean Singleton-Turner

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 20th of April 2022

Released:  22nd of April 2022

Duration: 41 minutes 19 seconds

This episode is the fifth in a series called “Great Escapes”, covering stories of RNZAF ejections from aircraft that have saved lives in emergency situations.

In this episode we hear from Sean Singleton-Turner about his ejection from RNZAF BAC167 Strikemaster Mk. 88, NZ6368, on the 27th of October 1992.

Sean was a Royal Australian Air Force Pilot, flying with the RNZAF on an exchange posting to No. 14 Squadron RNZAF. The squadron was based at RNZAF Base Ohakea, and Sean was actively involved with converting instructors and other pilots from the Strikemaster to the Aermacchi MB339CB Macchi, plus training cadet pilots on the first ever Macchi course. He also was still occasionally flying the Strikemaster, and it was in his role as the squadron’s Maintenance Test Pilot that he was flying NZ6368 that fateful day when he was unable to recover the jet from a spin.

The music used in this episode is Hazy After Hours, from Mixkit

Quick Links:

• Great Escapes 1 – Geoff Hubbard

• Great Escapes 2 – Pete Lindsay

• Great Escapes 3 – Phil Barnes

• Great Escapes 4 – Safety And Surface

Above: A framed before and after photo of Strikemaster NZ6368 that was presented to F/Lt Sean Singleton-Turner by the RNZAF Base Ohakea Photographic Section after his ejection. (Sean Singleton Turner photo)
Above: Jim Rankin, left, and Sean Singleton-Turner, right, in 1992 at the completion of their Aermacchi conversion course. just months before the ejection occurred. (Sean Singleton Turner photo)
Above: A screenshot of Sean during the interview in April 2022.
The aircraft that was destroyed in the incident. Ground crew washing down No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6368 during Exercise Falcon’s Roost 13 at Kaikohe airfield. 13/12/1981. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo)
A comparison of the two jets that Sean was flying on the squadron. Air to air view of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6370 in formation with Aermacchi NZ6463 prior to the retirement of the Strikemaster in RNZAF Service. Flying from RNZAF Base Ohakea. 19/11/1992. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo)
View of the wreckage of No. 14 Squadron Strikemaster NZ6368, flown by Flight Lieutenant Sean Singleton-Turner, RAAF, which crashed on 27 October near Pahiatua, after failing to recover from an intentional spin. 28/10/1992, The pilot ejected safely. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photo)

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