Date:	Thursday 21 March 1946
Time:	11:00
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito TR Mk 33
Owner/operator:	703 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	TW235
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Rusthall Girls & Infants School, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Thorney Island,
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Mosquito TW235: Pilot lost control during unauthorised low-level aerobatics over family residence and crashed into school playground of Rusthall Girls & Infants School, High Street, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, just after mid-morning break on 21/03/1946.
On crashing into the wall at the bottom of the garden of the Marquee public house, about eight feet from the playground, the 'plane immediately burst into flames, and it was not until some three hours afterwards that the pilot was definitely identified following the discovery of a note case bearing his name. By a tragic coincidence, this was to have been one of F/Lt Dart's last flights with the R.A.F., for in a few days he was to have been demobilised and intended to join the B.O.A.C".
Crew:
F/Lt (42397) Kenneth Charles Daymond DART DFC (pilot in Naval aircraft) RAF - killed

According to an eyewitness report:
"Before it crashed into the girl's playground the plane was diving towards the boys playing in their playground next door in the boys school. At the last moment it managed to veer to the right to save the children and crashed into the girl's playground next door. I know this because I was one of the children in the playground at the time. When we heard and saw the plane diving towards us, we scattered. thanks to the pilots quick last reaction we all survived. No casualties on ground apart from school rabbit who was singed in his hutch. A ground fire occurred after the crash and the pilot was killed.

According to a contemporary newspaper report (Kent & Sussex Courier - Friday 29 March 1946):
"LAST FLIGHT OVER HOME TOWN
TRAGIC FATE OF YOUNG D.F.C. PILOT
A few seconds after he had flown a Royal Air Force Mosquito over Tunbridge Wells, the home of his wife and infant daughter, F/Lt K.D. Dart DFC plunged to his death on the outskirts of Rusthall Girls' School playground shortly before noon on Thursday last. As was recorded in last week's "Courier," girls on the playground miraculously escaped death, although several received minor injuries.

1. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 - 1949 by Colin Cummings P.101
4. Kent & Sussex Courier - Friday 22 March 1946 and Friday 29 March 1946
5. P A Doyle personal research and records
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2824336/kenneth-charles-daymond-dart/
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232548541/kenneth-charles_daymond-dart
8. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?action=printpage;topic=13674.0
9. http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/CHARING%20CREMATORIUM.pdf
10. https://www.rusthall-cep.kent.sch.uk/
11. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/awards/details.php?qnum=42397&qname=DART
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusthall#School,_healthcare_and_churches

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Apr-2015 20:15	Thomas Fuk	Added
02-Apr-2015 20:34	Digger	Updated [Date, Departure airport, Narrative]
20-Jul-2015 09:15	paddy	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
10-Sep-2015 18:54	Nepa	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative]
10-Sep-2015 18:55	INV	Updated [Narrative]
23-Feb-2018 13:33	paddy	Updated [Destination airport, Damage, Narrative]
14-May-2019 07:32	Nepa	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, Operator]
11-Sep-2019 09:42	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]
06-Nov-2019 02:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
07-Nov-2019 18:51	Nepa	Updated [Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]
09-Jan-2020 20:56	Nepa	Updated [Source, Operator]
18-Feb-2020 17:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
18-Feb-2020 17:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport]
09-Jun-2020 17:51	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
31-May-2021 21:42	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Operator]
23-Jun-2021 23:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
05-Jul-2021 09:00	Next	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]
13-Aug-2021 21:55	Anon.	Updated [Operator]
07-Jul-2023 17:51	Nepa	Updated [[Operator]]
24-Aug-2023 18:00	Nepa	Updated [[[Operator]]]