Date:	Saturday 15 September 1951
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	63 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WB106
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WB106, 63 Sqaudron RAF: delivered 16/5/1951. Written off 15/09/1951 when struck by Meteor F.Mk.8 WE869 (also of 63 Squadron) during aerobatics & abandoned in spin.Tail unit broke off after collision with other aircraft, aircraft went into flat spin and crashed at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Pilot Flying Officer L. J. B. Smith ejected at approx. 1,500 feet, albeit with some difficulty in finding the handle as the seat pan had beeen lowered fully.

The incident was reported in the local press ("Ely Standard" 17 September 1951) as follows:

"The pilot of a Meteor jet fighter was killed before 3,000 to 4,000 horrified spectators following a mid-air collision with another Meteor at the Battle of Britain “open day” display at R.A.F. Station, Waterbeach. His mother was among those who saw the accident. One Meteor crashed within 200 yards of the crowd, burst into flames and exploded.

The other fell on the edge of the airfield near the Cambridge-Ely road. It too burnt and exploded. The display was abandoned and the station commander said over the loudspeaker: “In view of the tragedy you have just witnessed there will be no more flying to-day. You are asked to go home as quickly as possible”.

Struck off Charge as Cat.5(c) on 23/07/1954 at No.60 MU RAF Rufforth

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.119 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 177
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. Ely Standard 17 September 1951/www.mikevettv.ore.itk bit.ly/CambsColIection
5. http://web.archive.org/web/20170421194351/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1951.htm
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-May-2008 20:55	JINX	Added
05-Jun-2008 15:16	JINX	Updated
12-May-2012 17:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Aug-2012 01:53	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
23-Oct-2017 22:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative]
09-Feb-2021 22:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]