Date:	Friday 5 March 1954
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	245 (Northern Rhodesia) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WK891
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	English Channel, 4 miles east of Deal, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WK863: Awaiting collection 2/1/53, Delivered 8/1/53. RAF service was with 245 (Northern Rhodesia) Squadron, RAF only.

Written off (destroyed) 5/3/54: whilst engaged in a practice interception against a Sabre aircraft, Meteor F.Mk.8s WH863 and WK891 (both of 245 Squadron) collided and crashed into the English Channel, 4 miles east of Deal, Kent. The pilot of Meteor WK863 was killed, the pilot of Meteor WK891 landed successfully and survived. However, Meteor WK891 was deemed to be "beyond economic repair", and was struck off charge

Crew of Meteor WK891
Squadron Leader (156.680) Nicholas Edward BOWEN (pilot) RAF - survived

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.155 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 70)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.36
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WK
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._245_Squadron_RAF#Postwar
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deal,_Kent
7. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41753/supplement/4228/data.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jun-2008 12:02	JINX	Added
18-Jan-2012 04:28	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Phase, Source]
29-May-2013 14:03	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
06-Apr-2020 18:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
28-May-2021 21:44	Anon.	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator]