Date:	Friday 8 October 1954
Time:	day
Type:	Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator:	4 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XB937
MSN:	724
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, 9 miles off Sylt, South of the Hindenburg Dam -   Germany
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sylt, West Germany
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Ex RCAF 19824,first flown 21.8.1953 as "XB961"; delivered (taken on charge by the RAF) 29.9.1953, reserialled XB937 shortly after delivery. Delivered to 4 Squadron, RAF 21.7.54.

On 8.10.1954, dived into the North Sea nine miles off Sylt, West Germany during a tail chase. The pilot had possibly blacked out during a high G turn. According to the following extract from the 4 Squadron RAF Operations Record Book (Air Ministry Form 540):

"Today, whilst on an air-to-air practice on Amrun High Range, Flying Officer K.A. Richardson was killed. The exact cause and circumstances of the accident are not yet known but he was seen to crash into the water a mile off the South coast of Sylt. He had recently returned from Leconfield as a qualified P.A.I. and had been on the Squadron fourteen months."

According to Ron Gray's Notes (21 Mar 2006 - see link #7): "Ken was killed at Sylt on 8 October 1954. He had a theory about 'x' kts. And 'y' feet for a pull through which he had discussed with me the previous night as we were bedding down, I said bull***t but Ken had 'worked it out mathematically'. We were sharing a room at Sylt. The flags went u/s for Dave Clayton and Ken, then for Pete Phillips and me. So were dog fighting and tail chasing. I saw what he was up to and called him air brakes but I reckon he'd blacked out by then and felt nothing as he hit the water. I had in excess of 8g on the clock and my engine was groaning as were my guts. Ginger Friend and I sorted his gear. Brian Watson took his ashes home when he went on leave."

Ken Senar relates: " Ken died at Sylt when for an unaccountable reason he dived vertically into the sea from a considerable height. I was stooging around at the time, waiting for my turn to fire on the flag when his Sabre plummeted vertically past me straight into the shallow waters inland of the island and just south of the Hindenburg Dam. I was being called forward at the time by the tug pilot to go and fire on his drogue so heard no R/T calls at all. I understand that I wasn't the only one to see what happened. Next day, on overflying the area, the ASR launch was anchored near a visible hole in the shallow sea bed, and a small oil slick was present. Larry Milberry's book states that Ken was in a tail chase and was flying XB937. The date quoted is October 8th 1954."

[Report from Colin Cumming's Book "Category Five": "Sabre F.4 XB937 9 miles from Sylt. Whilst carrying out violent manoeuvres at comparatively low altitude the aircraft dived into the sea. It is assumed that the pilot blacked out during the final high 'g' turn to port. Flying Officer Kenneth Alan RICHARDSON aged 2."]

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.164 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 10)
3. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1954.htm
4. http://www.rafjever.org/4fm540oct54.htm
5. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XB
7. http://www.rafjever.org/sharepast.htm#Richardson
8. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19801_19850_detailed.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jul-2012 21:56	Daniel Nole	Added
26-Jun-2013 14:21	TB	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Country, Source, Damage]
05-Sep-2017 21:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Nov-2018 06:59	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
31-Jan-2020 19:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
31-Jan-2020 22:47	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]