Ian “Soapy” Watson, the Sea Harrier pilot, had completed only 75 per cent of the recommended flying hours.

On Jun. 7, 1983 Royal Navy Sea Harrier ZA176 performed an emergency landing aboard Cargo Ship Alraigo. The news footage in this post features the recovery of Sea Harrier ZA176 and Sub-Lt Ian Watson after the Alraigo docked in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, June 1983.

Noteworthy when inexperienced Royal Navy pilot Ian “Soapy” Watson got lost flying a Sea Harrier jump jet and landed the £7 million aircraft on the deck of a container ship senior officers reprimanded him for incompetence.

But, as reported by The Telegraph, in 2007 emerged that behind the scenes they were laying the blame elsewhere to try to get out of a £570,000 compensation bill.

In fact a file released on May 31, 2007 at the National Archives describes how Sub-Lt Watson, 25, ”incurred the Commander in Chief of the Fleet’s Displeasure” for displaying an unsatisfactory standard of fundamental airmanship.

But the Ministry of Defence file shows that he had completed only 75 per cent of the recommended flying hours in training before being pressed into service and was allowed to take an aircraft with a known radio defect.

An unnamed senior officer commented: ”I am speechless, as was Watson.” Sub-Lt Watson had taken off from the carrier HMS Illustrious off the Spanish coast on Jun. 7, 1983 to conduct a NATO search exercise.

The crew of the 2,300-ton Spanish container ship Alraigo won a salvage claim and shared £340,000, with the remaining £230,000 going to the owners of the vessel.

Photo credit: JF Aleman-Canary Islands Spotting, via aviationcorner.net

Photo credit: JF Aleman-Canary Islands Spotting, via aviationcorner.net