Date:	Tuesday 17 April 1956
Time:	16:18 LT
Type:	Hawker Hunter F Mk 5
Owner/operator:	41 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WN965
MSN:	S4/U/2952
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Barn End Lane, Wilmington, 1 mile South of Dartford, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On Tuesday 17th April, 1956, Flying Officer J.P.J. Munroe, of 41 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill, took off in Hawker Hunter WN965 ["P"] for a sortie to include aerobatics at a height greater than 11,000 feet, followed by a practice diversion and a practice 'flame out' landing back at base. After receiving taxi clearance from the control tower, the pilot took off at 16.14 hours and was seen to behave in a normal manner, turning to starboard on to the 'safety lane' followed by straightening out and climbing away. Two unusual things were noted - firstly that Munroe failed to wait for take-off clearance, and the officer on duty in the tower noted this and resolved to speak to the pilot about the breach on his return. Secondly, Munroe failed to switch to the approach frequency as was expected.

After between three and four minutes from becoming airborne, the Hunter was seen to emerge from cloud at around 2,000 feet in a high speed, steep dive. It struck the ground at Barn End Lane, Wilmington, near Dartford, Kent, killing the pilot instantly.

The investigation that followed showed that the jet had hit at very high speed and had formed a crater 28 feet by 24 feet, and 8 feet deep - the RAF had to obtain a digger from the Maintenance Unit to excavate this further to a depth of 25 feet and 60 feet wide to remove what little remained of WN965. As for Flying Officer Munroe, all that they could recover was barely enough tissue fragments to 'fill a small jar'.

The findings of the Court of Inquiry were extremely vague..

"In the opinion of the Court, the pilot found himself in some sort of trouble and got out of control. It is considered that he did not call up as he would have been too busy trying to recover from his predicament".

The headstone for F/O Munroe at Biggin Hill, and details from the Armed Forces Memorial 'Roll of Honour' are as follows:

Surname: MUNROE
Forenames/Initials: John Philip James
Rank: Flying Officer
Service: Royal Air Force
Service Number: 2485699
Station: RAF Biggin Hill
Date of Birth: 03 May 1932
Age: 23
Date of Death: 17 April 1956
Cemetery Name: Biggin Hill Cemetery
Cemetery Address: Church Rd Biggin Hill Kent
Grave Number: 22

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.179 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 81)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.191
4. 41 Squadron RAF ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/56 to 31/12/60: File AIR 27/2775/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8430158
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/335: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424456
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/34/S2816: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578596
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WN
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1956.htm
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=748.0
10. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/109038-hunter-crash-wilmington-mystery
11. http://www.wilmingtonpc.kentparishes.gov.uk/default.cfm?pid=3371
12. http://www.wilmingtonpc.kentparishes.gov.uk/default.cfm?pid=messages&threadid=1687
13. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jan-2009 11:55	ASN archive	Added
27-Feb-2011 09:30	Anon.	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants]
04-Dec-2011 16:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
31-Mar-2012 17:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Source, Narrative]
15-Aug-2012 08:34	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
22-Jan-2020 16:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Jan-2020 16:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
22-Jan-2020 23:00	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]
14-Jun-2020 23:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source]
15-Jun-2020 00:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]