Date:	Monday 22 July 1946
Time:	23:20 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	BCIS (Bomber Command Instructors School), RAF
Registration:	PP757
MSN:	BC-F
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B Mk. I PP757/BC-F of the BCIS (Bomber Command Instructors School), RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 22 July 1946 in a landing accident at RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

On 22nd July 1946 this Bomber Command Instructor School aircraft was flown on a night circuits and landings training exercise at Finningley airfield. While making a three-engine landing at 23.20hrs the instructor failed to check the angle of approach and the aircraft flew into the ground. It appears to have then bounced off the undercarriage but instead of attempting to remain in the air and fly an overshoot, the undercarriage was raised and a belly landing was made to the side of runway. The damaged was assessed to be beyond repair and it was struck off charge with Cat.E/FA damage being the damage assessment.

Pilot (Instructor) - Flight/Lieutenant Bertram Frederick Russell RAFVR (187719).
Pilot (Pupil) - Flying Officer William Thomas Cake RAF (56693).
Plus two other crew - Names unknown.

The Bomber Command Instructors School had been established at Finningley in December 1944 and this organisation, with a variety of bomber types, saw out the remaining months of the war at this station and did not depart until the spring of 1947.

Brief History of Lancaster PP757
Built by Vickers Armstrong at Chester to Contract Acft/1336
22-06-1945: Taken on charge by CRD (Controller Research & Development) at A V Roe & Co., Woodford, Cheshire
23-07-1945: Delivered to RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
21-11-1945: Cat. A(c)(FA) damage in a flying accident at RAF Finningley
27-11-1945: Repaired on site (ROS) by A V Roe & Co Ltd
05-12-1945: Repairs completed, returned to service at RAF Finningley and taken on charge by the BCIS (Bomber Command Instructors School)
22-07-1946: Cat E(FA): written off (destroyed) in a flying accident at RAF Finningley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire as per the above
23-07-1946:Struck off charge as Cat. E(FA)

NOTE: It is probable that PP757 was being operated by the BCIS at Finningley from 23-07-1945. However, the aircraft record card only confirms this to be officially the case from 05-12-1945.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.47. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 132)
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.186
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.101: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. BCIS (Bomber Command Instructors School), RAF Operational Record Book (Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1 January 1946 to 31 January 1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1786 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101496
7. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PP730-PP792/mobile/index.html
8. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1946/July/1.html
9. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/ppseries/PP757
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Finningley#Post_Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Sep-2013 02:28	JINX	Added
14-Sep-2019 06:51	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator, ]
15-Nov-2019 21:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
18-Dec-2019 22:39	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator, ]
14-Jun-2023 08:45	Nepa	Updated
15-Jun-2023 20:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated
26-Jan-2025 00:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
26-Jan-2025 00:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ]