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Date: | Monday 20 April 1953 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Gloster Meteor T Mk 7 |
Owner/operator: | 206 AFS RAF |
Registration: | WG989 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | 1.5 miles NE of RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire |
Destination airport: | RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WG989, 206 AFS RAF: delivered 2/11/1951. Written off (destroyed) 20/4/1953 when crashed one-and-a-half miles North East of RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire. Pilot killed.
After carrying out three roller landings, the aircraft turned down wind at between 300 and 500 feet, and at normal circuit speed. The aircraft was seen to drop its left wing, roll over and dive into the ground. The cause of the accident was attributed by the RAF Board of Inquiry to the pilot losing control, due to leaving the air brakes fully extended in error.
The crash was caused by a 'Phantom Dive' in that the undercarriage was lowered with the airbrakes out. As the undercarriage came down asymmetrically on the Meteor this caused a yaw which could not be counteracted due to disturbed airflow over the rudder from the air brakes. Although the Meteor T.Mk.7 is a two seater, the pilot was flying solo - his second ever solo flight on a Gloster Meteor.
Crew of Meteor WG989:
Pilot Officer Sidney Basil FORD (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 20/4/1953
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.144 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 362
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. 206 AFS ORB (Operational Record Book)(Air Ministry File AM/F,540) for the period 1/10/1951 to 31/5/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 29/2146/1 at
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162860 5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/147:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424268 6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2628:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578474 7.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WG 8.
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?9765-Meteor-losses-at-206-AFS-RAF-Oakington-1951-to-January-1953 Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
09-Jun-2008 19:04 |
JINX |
Added |
12-May-2015 16:30 |
Jixn |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport] |
25-Dec-2019 22:17 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
25-Dec-2019 22:18 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
25-Dec-2019 22:19 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source] |
25-Apr-2021 19:12 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
25-Apr-2021 19:52 |
Jixn |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Narrative, Operator] |