Date:	Saturday 15 September 1951
Time:
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	63 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WE869
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WE869: Delivered 63 Squadron at RAF Waterbeach 21.5.51, coded 'X' later 'Q'. Written off when collided with Meteor WB106, during formation roll and abandoned, at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire 15.9.51. Pilot, Flying Officer Robin Pavey (aged 22) was killed. He had successfully ejected from Meteor WE869 at approximately 800 feet, but had failed to clear his ejection seat, and was killed on impact with the ground. According to the following published source (see link #6):

"No.63 Squadron: By December 1950, the squadron began to re-equip with Meteor F.8s and its team of four Meteors continued to give occasional displays until the following September, when two aircraft (WB106 and WE869) were involved in a tragic mid-air collision during the Battle of Britain celebrations at Waterbeach; one of the pilots, Flying Officer Robin Pavey was unfortunately killed, whilst Flying Officer L J B Smith managed to eject after losing the tail of his Meteor. The accident brought an end to any further formation display flying on the squadron."

The incident was reported in the local press ("Ely Standard" 17 September 1951) as follows:

"The pilot of a Meteor jet fighter was killed before 3,000 to 4,000 horrified spectators following a mid-air collision with another Meteor at the Battle of Britain “open day” display at R.A.F. Station, Waterbeach. His mother was among those who saw the accident. One Meteor crashed within 200 yards of the crowd, burst into flames and exploded.

The other fell on the edge of the airfield near the Cambridge-Ely road. It too burnt and exploded. The display was abandoned and the station commander said over the loudspeaker: “In view of the tragedy you have just witnessed there will be no more flying to-day. You are asked to go home as quickly as possible”.

The loss of Meteor WE869 was one of three separate fatal accidents involving displays at Battle of Britain "Open House" Air Shows on 15 September 1951 (see also Harvard T.2b FX425 and KF937)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.117 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.179
4. "Three Killed at Air Displays". The Times, London, September 15, 1951. p. 4.
5. Ely Standard 17 September 1951/www.mikevettv.ore.itk bit.ly/CambsColIection
6. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/307076-airshow-related-accidents-2.html#post6798529
7. http://web.archive.org/web/20170421194351/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1951.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air_show_accidents_and_incidents_in_the_20th_century#1951
9. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2008 15:18	JINX	Added
12-May-2012 17:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Aug-2012 01:52	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
26-May-2017 16:28	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative]
09-Feb-2021 22:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Feb-2021 15:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]