Date:	Friday 2 April 1954
Time:	day
Type:	English Electric Canberra B Mk 2
Owner/operator:	12 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WF891
MSN:	71092
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire (EGXB)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Canberra B.2 WF891, 12 Squadron, RAF: Written off 2/4/1954 when engine lost power on take-off, aircraft banked & wing hit ground, swung into GCA (Ground Control Approach) vehicle. There were three fatalities - the Squadron Commander, who was in the rumble seat and doing a check ride on the pilot, one of the navigators who's seat fired, and one person in the GCA caravan. The pilot was very badly injured but survived. The other navigator, when the remains of the aircraft came to rest, found himself still strapped in with nothing in front of him and, I think, suffered a broken ankle.

One of the fatalities who was named was Squadron Leader J S Millington, DFC, Commanding Officer of 12 Squadron, RAF, at the time. He was the one in the "rumble seat"

Crew of Canberra WF891
Pilot Officer Reginald John Careless (pilot, Service Number 579653) - survived injured (back injuries)
Flight Lt P.M. Mitchell RAF (navigator) - survived injured (broken ankle)
Flying Officer Gordon Keith Horne (navigator, aged 28) - killed on active service 2/4/54
Squadron Leader J S Millington, DFC, Commanding Officer of 12 Squadron, RAF - killed on active service 2/4/54

Pilot Officer Reginald John Careless not only survived the crash of Canberra WF891. but upon return to duty was promoted to Flight Lt on 4/9/58 (backdated to 12/3/52 - over two years before the loss of Canberra WF891). The identity of the unfortunate occupant of the GCA caravan has not yet been discovered.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.157 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 41)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.48
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/206: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424327
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WF
6. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s-incident-logs#1954
7. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/79000-raf-binbrook-history-wanted
8. https://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/120127-other-e-e-classic-canberra-merged-23rd-july-04-a-4.html
9. Headstone of Sqn Ldr J S Millington DFC: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96555212@N08/48578979002/
10. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41586/supplement/7952/data.pdf .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2008 12:25	JINX	Added
04-Apr-2013 00:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total occupants, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Apr-2013 00:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total occupants]
02-Oct-2013 06:45	alan watson	Updated [Embed code]
04-Oct-2013 13:22	Anon.	Updated [Embed code]
19-Oct-2018 14:03	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
08-Jan-2020 19:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Jan-2020 19:55	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative, Operator]
07-Apr-2020 17:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
08-Apr-2020 21:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]