Date:	Friday 11 May 1945
Time:	19:15 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	61 Squadron RAF
Registration:	PB438
MSN:	OL-P
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 30
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Melsbroek Air Base, Brussels, Belgium
Destination airport:	RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk.III PB438/OL-P, 61 Sqauadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) in a landing accident at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire 11 May 1945

The aircraft landed 19:15 at Coningsby, wheels retracted, after the port tyre burst in flight. No injuries reported from the six crew or 24 passengers. The unusually large number of persons on board (30) was connected to the aircraft being used in OPERATION EXODUS, the repartration of British and Allied PoWs. On this flight, added to the Lancaster's crew of six were 24 former PoWs being brought home from Melsbroek Air Base, Brussels Airport, Brussels, Belgium.

Pilot: Flight Lieutenant Roderick Neville Pereira DFC RAFVR 178541 (NCO:1391332: Commission Gazetted Tuesday 8 August, 1944)

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 140.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. 61 Squadron Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 May to 31 December 1945): National Airchives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/580/9 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8452690
5. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PB407-PB473/mobile/index.html
6. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/May/1.html
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PB438
8. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#may
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._61_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Coningsby#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Aug-2013 08:28	JINX	Added
31-Aug-2013 21:24	JINX	Updated [Location, Departure airport, ]
03-Nov-2018 09:43	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
19-Jul-2023 21:49	Nepa	Updated
10-May-2024 07:32	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
25-Aug-2024 19:31	Rob Davis	Updated [Date, Narrative, ]
19-Jan-2025 15:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]