Date:	Wednesday 11 November 1959
Time:	16:00 LT
Type:	Hawker Hunter F Mk 6
Owner/operator:	93 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XJ641
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	38 miles west of Helgoland -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Jever, Germany
Destination airport:	RAF Jever, Germany
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Aircraft took off from RAF Jever, Germany, in bad weather, and with radio transmission problems. Contact was lost after the pilot had called a PAN (emergency landing). No trace of the aircraft or pilot - Flying Officer Reg West - was ever found. It is thought that he descended through cloud and flew into the North Sea off Leewarden, Holland

Excerpt from 93 Squadron diary/operational record book:

"On Wednesday, 11th November bad weather caused another late start. At 15.50 Flying Officer R.W. West took off on a syllabus sortie to do a practice diversion, QGH, GCA, and PFOL's. He was fixed over Leeuwarden at approximately 16.00, after which all contact with his aircraft [XJ641/G] was lost.

A search was made over the North Sea by a Shackleton all night, and three rescue boats were alerted. What at the time was believed to be a weak SARAH beacon signal was received by the Shackleton late at night. The rescue boats (from Sylt, Heligoland and Borkum) were sent to the spot. The German Navy volunteered to send two Albatross amphibians at first light. Pembrokes with Lindholme gear and Ansons from Wildenwrath and Jever were prepared take off at first light The search was intensified on Thursday. Two more possible sarah signals were reported, but no signal was sufficient for a positive homing, and nothing was seen of a dinghy. Fog prevented the take off of the Albatross aircraft from Kiel. A Canberra also took part in the search taking off from Jever. A Danish Catalina searched north of Heligoland. A R.A.F. helicopter operated from Sylt, a German one from a landing craft "Krokodil" in the North Sea. Most of the Squadron pilots were flying as "eyes" in the search aircraft.

The search was called off on Sunday evening, no positive clues or indications of the pilot's or aircraft's whereabouts having been found."

F540 Operations Record Book November 1959 NO 93 SQUADRON. PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2803 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71
www.ukserials.com/losses-1959.htm
http://www.rafjever.org/93fm540nov59.htm#WestR
http://www.rafjever.org/93sqnpic268.htm
Leeuwarder courant : hoofdblad van Friesland
12-11-1959

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Mar-2012 12:21	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Aug-2012 03:28	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
05-Jun-2020 18:54	Cobar	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Country, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]