Date:	Tuesday 8 November 1955
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.112 Venom NF.3
Owner/operator:	173 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WX924
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sandpit Lane, St.Albans, 2½ miles West of RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire (EGTH)
Destination airport:	RAF Hawarden, Cheshire (EGNR)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.112 Venom NF.3 WX924, 173 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 8/11/1955 - engine cut on take off, and crashed near Sandpit Lane, St. Albans, 2½ miles west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire on flight to RAF Hawarden, Cheshire. Both crew survived. According to an eyewitness report from a schoolboy who witnessed the crash (see link #9)

"CRASHED AIRCRAFT - ST ALBANS - 1955
Near Miss at Beaumont School
By John Halsey

In November 1955 I was sitting in Mrs. Ireland’s class on the first floor of Beaumont School, St Albans looking down the playing fields towards Hatfield Road when I noticed a DH Venom Night fighter 3, WX924, trying to make an emergency landing on the playing fields. It ran out of room and just managed to fly over the roof of the school. It then attempted to land on the rear playing fields before running across Sandpit Lane finally coming to rest in an orchard. The pilot received minor injuries and by his actions prevented the aircraft from crashing into the school".

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.175 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 107)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/310: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424431
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/34/S2791: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578571
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WX
6. http://www.ukserials.com/prodlists.php?type=973
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._173_Squadron_RAF#Postwar
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH112%20prodn%20list.txt
9. https://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/towns-and-villages/st-albans/crashed-aircraft-st-albans-1955

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Apr-2013 17:25	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Apr-2013 20:56	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport]
13-Apr-2013 16:40	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Jan-2020 00:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Jan-2020 00:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
25-Jan-2020 22:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
25-Jan-2020 22:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Jan-2020 22:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]