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Date: | Thursday 4 December 1952 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Gloster Meteor T Mk 7 |
Owner/operator: | 211 AFS RAF |
Registration: | WL402 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Retford Farm, 3 miles North of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire |
Destination airport: | RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WL402 had a short life: it was delivered to the RAF on October 4th 1952, and destroyed in a fatal crash exactly two months later, on December 4th 1952. Both crew were killed when the Meteor T.7 crashed at 'Retford Farm' near Sutton-cum-Lound, 3 miles North of Retford, Nottinghamshire. during asymmetrical training.
WL402 Dived into ground during single engine practice. The aim of the sortie was to demonstrate the effects of critical speed with each of the engines throttled back alternatively.
The aircraft was seen to dive into the ground, and the probable cause was that the demonstration flying was taking place at about 3,000 feet - an altitude when it was not possible to effect recovery before striking the ground, or that control was lost whilst trying to effect recovery.
Crew of Meteor WL402:
Pilot Officer (1592375) Colin Glover (QFI Instructor Pilot) RAF - killed in service 4/12/1952
Pilot Officer (2531352) Gerald Dudley Hopkins (pilot) RAF - killed in service 4/12/1952
The report crash location of Sutton-Cum-Lound is a village located in Bassetlaw, north Nottinghamshire. It is located 3 miles from Retford, at approximate co ordinates 53.35°N, 0.98°W
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.138 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 316
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/126:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424247 4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2606:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578452 5. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p.73)
6.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WL 7.
http://rafworksop.btck.co.uk/AircraftBasedatWorksop 8.
http://rafworksop.btck.co.uk/ThosewhoservedanddiedfortheRAF 9.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39499/supplement/1676/data.pdf 10.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39562/supplement/3069/data.pdf 11.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_cum_Lound Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
20-Jun-2008 09:34 |
JINX |
Added |
12-May-2015 08:56 |
Xindel |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
26-Feb-2017 22:01 |
Dr.John Smith |
Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
29-Dec-2019 19:43 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
29-Dec-2019 22:57 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator] |
01-Apr-2021 01:50 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
01-Apr-2021 10:02 |
Xindel |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
01-Apr-2021 17:07 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |