Date:	Tuesday 30 January 1968
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Vulcan B.2
Owner/operator:	9 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XM604
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Cow Close Farm, Burley, Rutland, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Cottesmore (EGXJ) Rutland
Destination airport:	RAF Cottesmore (EGXJ) Rutland
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
A fire in the No 2 engine low pressure compressor failed during climb out from an overshoot at Cottesmore, Rutland led to turbine disc separation. The disc entered the bomb bay, damaging the flying controls severely. The Vulcan was uncontrollable and crashed on approach to RAF Cottesmore, Rutland.

The pilots ejected but four rear crew were killed. Co-Pilot, Flying Officer Mike Gillett ejected safely. Pilot Flt Lt Peter Tait stayed with the Vulcan way beyond what was sensible to get his rear crew out. He only survived because his deploying parachute was caught by power lines 35ft above the ground. The four crew killed were: Flight Lieutenant A.W. Bennett, Flying Officer. B.D. Goodman, Flight. Lieutenant S.R. Sumpter, and Flying Officer M.J. Whelan

Extract from the Board of Inquiry report relating to the crash of Vulcan XM604:

"The aircraft had rolled to port through at least 90 degrees but not more than 120 degrees, with a nose down angle of between 15 and 20 degrees when the Captain ejected from an approximate height of 300 feet by pulling the face blind. The blind partially covered the right side of his face because he only used his right hand to pull the face screen firing handle. Due to the attitude of the aircraft and the low height at the time of ejection the parachute had only streamed when the pilot passed through high tension cables close to the scene of the accident. The canopy caught one cable, pulled that cable onto the next one and caused an electrical short. This fused the nylon panels together which acted as a brake, and the pilot was lowered to the ground. As his feet touched he undid the quick release box and walked away."

1. Baxter, Alan. Olympus: The First Forty Years. Derby, UK: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, 1990. ISBN 978-0-9511710-9-7.
2. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft XA100 - XZ999, published 2001
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 101/686: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5070696
4. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/rutland-remembers-cold-war-bomber-1134552
5. http://www.grumpieroldmen.co.uk/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=24312
6. http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?12898-Vulcan-XM604
7. https://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/259414-does-anyone-remember-my-dad-vulcan-bomber.html
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1968.htm
9. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm10JEQ_Avro_Vulcan_B2_XM604_crew_1968_St_Nicholas_Cottesmore_Rutland
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Vulcan#Accidents_and_incidents
11. http://studysupport.info/vulcanbomber/airframelist.htm#xm
12. https://rafanddfsa.co.uk/Sep18.pdf (pp.#4 & #5)

Rutland remembers Cold War bomber crash which claimed lives of four of its six crew https://t.co/0UPsVH2S6p < #VulcanXM604 #XM604 #VForce

— KulganofCrydee (@KulganofCrydee) January 30, 2018

Today is 50th anniversary of crash of #Vulcan #XM604, with the loss of 4 rear crew. #ColdWar was a real war. #twitterVforce #Avgeek #RAF100

— Stephen Liddle (@steveliddle558) January 30, 2018

@NewarkAirMus can you help? https://t.co/NpF99s0s5q

— Spiggy (@SpiggyTope) November 10, 2020

We only have this low res photo of XM604 available immediately, we would need more time to access the #NAMarchive during #Lockdown2 #XM604 #twitterVforce pic.twitter.com/deXh7ZwJ4o

— Newark Air Museum (@NewarkAirMus) November 10, 2020

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Dec-2008 11:00	harro	Added
22-Aug-2011 12:35	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
12-Mar-2012 07:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total occupants, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
12-Mar-2012 07:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Phase, Narrative]
10-Apr-2013 14:01	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
21-Jul-2013 03:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
05-Feb-2014 16:09	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
24-Feb-2020 19:32	Clive Elsbury	Updated [Narrative]
26-Nov-2020 22:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
26-Nov-2020 22:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
26-Nov-2020 22:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
27-Nov-2020 10:45	Heil	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Embed code, Operator]
15-Jul-2022 22:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Destination airport, Category]