Date:	Tuesday 25 April 1950
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10
Owner/operator:	Oxford UAS RAF
Registration:	WB559
MSN:	C1/0011
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	2 miles SW of Abingdon, Oxfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Bicester, Oxfordshire (EGDD)
Destination airport:	RAF Abingdon, Oxfordshire (EGUD)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.Mk.10 WB559: Awaiting collection 31/1/1950, delivered to the RAF3/2/1950. Issued to Oxford University Air Squadron (OAUS) RAF.

Written off 25.4.1950: Abandoned by the crew when the aircraft became uncontrollable in a spin and aircraft failed to recover from the spin. Crashed two miles South West of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Although the pupil pilot bailed out successfully, and parachuted to earth uninjured, the instructor's parachute did not open, and he was killed.

Crew of Chipmunk WB559:
Pilot Officer A F Whaley (Pupil Pilot Under Instruction) - bailed out by parachute, survived OK
Flight Lieutenant Frank George Welch (Instructor Pilot) - bailed out, parachute failed, killed on active service 25/4/50

Note: The crash took place in 1950 and not 1960 (despite several sources giving the latter date)

1. Halley, James J (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.101. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Air Britain RAF Aircraft WA100 - WZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 51
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_University_Air_Squadron
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 233/18: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424139
7. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/30/S2492: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578338
8. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Jun-2008 03:47	JINX	Added
07-Jun-2008 21:59	JINX	Updated
09-Nov-2011 05:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
11-Mar-2014 22:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2019 20:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Source, Narrative]
23-Dec-2019 21:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Feb-2020 07:33	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator]
22-Dec-2020 19:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]