Date:	Wednesday 18 February 1942
Time:
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	153 Sqn RAF
Registration:	T3914
MSN:	454
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Irish Sea off Kearney, Kearney Rd Portaferry Co.Down, Northern Ireland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland
Destination airport:	RAF Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I T3914, 153 Squadron, RAF Ballyhalbert: Written off (destroyed) 18 February 1942 when Spun into sea on night test off the coast. Believed crashed into the Irish Sea off Kearney, Portaferry, Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland. There were unconfirmed reports that the pilot had been attempting to avoid another aircraft. Both crew members were killed and four days later (22 February 1942) their bodies were recovered from the sea near Burial Island to the north of Portavogie.

According to the file on the incident at the National Archives at Kew (File AIR 81/12281 - see link #2): "Sergeant J P Lucas (RCAF), Sergeant C T Deane: killed; Defiant T3914, 153 Squadron; aircraft accident County Down, Northern Ireland, 18 February 1942
Crew:
F/Sgt John Robert LUCAS (R/78281) Pilot RCAF - killed
F/Sgt Cecil Thomas DEANE (904963) AG RAF - killed

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley Air Britain, 1997)
2. National Archvies (PRO Few) File AIR 81/12281: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17083031
3. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2690082/john-robert-lucas/
4. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2435129/cecil-thomas-deane/
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=T3914
6. https://barryniblock.co.uk/world-war-two-war-dead/names-listed-alphabetically-by-surname/lacey-to-luke/lucas-john-robert-no-r-78281/
7. https://archives.wartimeni.com/person/john-robert-lucas/
8. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2690082
9. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/john-robert-lucas.95618/
10. https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/history/fallen-aviators/rcaf-casualties-second-world-war/levitt-to-lyttle/
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._153_Squadron_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ballyhalbert#Royal_Air_Force_use
13. https://www.visitardsandnorthdown.com/things-to-do/kearney-village-p689761

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Feb-2008 00:20	JINX	Added
02-Apr-2015 10:19	Giggs	Updated [Operator, Source, ]
06-Nov-2017 14:26	Red Dragon	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Nov-2017 14:27	Red Dragon	Updated [Operator, ]
04-Oct-2018 13:04	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator, ]
21-Nov-2022 05:03	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
30-May-2024 09:33	Nepa	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator, ]