Accident Hawker Hunter F4 WV391,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 58238
 
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Date:Thursday 5 June 1958
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic HUNT model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Hawker Hunter F4
Owner/operator:229 OCU RAF
Registration: WV391
MSN: 41H-670837
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:near RAF Chivenor, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase: Approach
Nature:Training
Departure airport:RAF Chivenor, Devon [EGDC]
Destination airport:RAF Chivenor, Devon [EGDC]
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
WV391 ff 23-08-55 Hugh Merewether. Delivered. 13-09-55, No 20 Sqn, (‘Z’), Oldenburg, 12-01-56. To Buckeberg, 11-01-57, for modification of the 30mm ADEN guns to HV ammunition and fitting of the Avon 121 engine. Returned to No.20 Sqn, 01-03-57, then to No.26 Sqn, ('Z'), 09-05-57. No.229OCU, (‘RS-E’). Delivered 31-05-57. The pilot was practicing landing at Chivenor, in manual control and everything appeared to be normal until the final stages of the approach. The aircraft was seen to rock laterally as if experiencing aileron buffet and the nose was raised as though the pilot intended to overshoot. However, the sink rate increased and aircraft assumed stalled or semi-stalled condition, striking the ground in nose high attitude. It then slid into a levee protecting a dyke and overturned, 2000yds from the Chivenor ATC tower (51° 05' 13" N, 04° 10' 25" W). The cause was established as a defective bleed valve control unit which would have caused a compressor stall in the engine if the throttle was opened. This would have prevented the pilot from overshooting the aircraft. Pilot; Wg.Cdr. Michael Wilsher Coombes, aged 37yrs, was killed. W/O, 05-06-58

Sources:

Hawker Hunter 1951 - 2013 by David j. Griffin - Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
10-Jan-2009 11:55 ASN archive Added
24-Mar-2012 04:38 Dr. John Smith Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
14-Aug-2013 03:25 RAFOHunter Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Dec-2018 09:29 Nepa Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Operator]

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