Date:	Thursday 16 June 1955
Time:	day
Type:	Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator:	66 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XD712
MSN:	613
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ancholme Valley, approx 1 mile west of Elsham, North Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.4 (F-86E): As this aircraft was funded by US Government MADP (Military Aid Development Program) funds, the USAF serial 52-10183 was assigned, but was probably never marked on the airframe. Diverted to RAF before RCAF serial 19713 marked, became XD712 instead. First flight on 20 May 1953. Operated by No. 66 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse, coded "S".

On the 16th June 1955 whilst flying in a four aircraft formation XD712 broke up in mid air killing the pilot, Flying Officer Lawrence Michael Percival Harryman (Service Number 2458113, aged 23)

The official report states ''This aircraft was No.3 in a tail chase was seen to commence to pull out from a dive. Shortly before the nose came above the horizon the a/c rolled onto its back and entered cloud. It was next seen by ground witnesses with the forward part of the fuselage on fire and cartwheeling through the air. When the remainder of the aircraft crashed the pilot, still strapped in the ejector seat, was thrown clear and killed.''

It goes on to say that ''It is considered that the pilot blacked out when attempting to follow his No.2 and on regaining consciousness overstressed the a/c to such an extent that it broke up''

A reliable witness on the ground says that the aircraft was flying level when it broke up rather than pulling out of a dive. This same witness visited the area in which the aircraft fragments fell to earth. They were scattered around a land drain near a road bridge across the drain south of the Humber in Lincolnshire a few miles from Elsham. The pilot was found still in his ejector seat in the drain itself.

Approximate crash location – 53°35'33.8"N, 0°28'54.4"W – Ancholme valley approximately one mile west of the village of Elsham, North Lincolnshire. The wreckage was taken to Farnborough for accident investigation, after which it was struck off charge as Cat.5(scrap).

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.171 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001, p 19)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.139
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/280: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424401
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/34/S2761: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578541
6. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1955.htm
7. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19701_19750_detailed.htm
8. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html
9. https://www.northlincsweb.net/RAFElshamWolds/html/16th_june_1955_-_66_sqn-_raf_linton-on-ouse_-_canadair_sabre__f4.html
10. https://militaryaircraftcrashsites.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_3.html
11. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s-incident-logs#1955
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsham,_North_Lincolnshire
13. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XD

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-Apr-2011 15:24	Daniel Nole	Updated
26-Jul-2012 06:29	Daniel Nole	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
24-Dec-2013 15:37	TB	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
13-Jan-2020 00:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jan-2020 00:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
13-Jan-2020 14:13	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
22-May-2020 16:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
22-May-2020 17:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]