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Date: | Friday 6 April 1956 |
Time: | day |
Type: | de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5 |
Owner/operator: | 4 FTS RAF |
Registration: | WA104 |
MSN: | EEP/42... |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | 3 miles SSE of RAF Middleton St. George, County Durham -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Initial climb |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham |
Destination airport: | RAF Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:DeHavilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 WA104: Delivered 15/5/50. RAF Service career was with 249 Squadron, 233 OCU RAF Pembrey, and 4 FTS RAF Middleton St. George
Written off (destroyed) when crashed 6/4/1956 after in-flight fire, and aircraft dived into the ground three miles South South East of RAF Middleton, St. George, County Durham. At the conclusion of a sortie from RAF Middleton St. George, only the nose wheel and port main undercarriage came down. The aircraft twice flew past the Control tower at Middleton St. George (so that the ATC could visually confirm the undercarriage problem). ATC also noted that the Vampire was trailing grey smoke behind the fuselage.
The aircraft then climbed to an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet and a small explosion took place, which blew off the gun bay doors, which fell to the ground. The aircraft then rolled to starboard and dived into the ground three miles south south east of RAF Middleton St. George.
The pilot was killed: it is believed that he attempted to bail out, but became "hung up" and the parachute was snagged and he collided with the tailplane.
Crew of Vampire WA104:
Pilot Officer Kenneth Charles Stuart Dight RAF (pilot, Service Number 4158229, aged 20) - killed on active service 6/4/56
Sources:
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 7)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/333:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424454 4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/34/S2814:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578594 5.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WA 6.
http://www.dtvmovements.co.uk/Info/Mil/Mil1956.htm 7.
http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1956.htm 8.
http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html 9.
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
01-Mar-2008 07:50 |
JINX |
Added |
08-Jun-2008 15:06 |
JINX |
Updated |
06-Mar-2013 15:46 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
18-May-2015 18:02 |
MiG21 |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
10-Jan-2020 22:00 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Aircraft type, Nature, Operator] |
18-Jan-2020 18:02 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
18-Jan-2020 19:03 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator] |
13-Jun-2020 21:48 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
13-Jun-2020 21:53 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
13-Jun-2020 21:54 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
14-Jun-2020 08:15 |
MIG21 |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |