Date:	Friday 28 June 1957
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Hunter F Mk 4
Owner/operator:	43 (China-British) Sqn RAF
Registration:	XF997
MSN:	HABL003152
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	River Eden Estuary, 1 mile South of RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife (ADX/EGQL)
Destination airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Hawker Hunter F.Mk.4 XF997: Built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd., at Blackpool, Lancashire. Delivered to the RAF at 5 MU Kemble 20/7/1956. Operation service was with 43 Squadron RAF at Leuchars as "F" from 3/9/1956.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 28/6/1957: Forcelanded into the Estuary of the River Eden one mile south of RAF Leuchars, Fife, after a bird strike. Aircraft overshot RAF Leuchars whilst landing - the overshot being caused by an attempt to avoid a flock of birds. This was unsuccessful, as one bird was sucked into the Hunter's engine, resulting in a loss of power. Pilot rescued unharmed from the mudflats where XF997 crashed.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.190 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 34)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.253
4. The Fighting Cocks: 43 (Fighter) Squadron By Jimmy Beedle
5. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1957.htm
6. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XF

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jan-2009 11:55	ASN archive	Added
17-Jul-2010 12:44	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative]
20-Mar-2012 09:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
17-Aug-2012 01:19	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
26-May-2013 19:04	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
07-Aug-2020 16:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Jul-2023 11:30	Nepa	Updated [[Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]]