Date:	Saturday 25 April 1953
Time:	14:00-15.00
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	600 (City of London) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WF747
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Gorse Road, Lone Barn Farm, Goddington Park, Chelsfield, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
WF747: Lost hood, ejector seat fired & aircraft dived into ground. On 25th April 1953, Meteor 8 WF747 from No.600 (City of London) Squadron RAF at Biggin Hill took off on an interception exercise with another aircraft. Flying Officer C.L.I. Muntz, rated as 'above average' as a pilot, was at the controls. After flying interception vectors at various heights up to 2500 feet the aircraft flew over Biggin Hill at high speed and low level. Shortly afterwards, at a height of 600 feet, the cockpit canopy disintegrated and the rear cockpit hood fairing became detached. A few seconds later the ejector seat was seen to leave WF747 and fall to the ground with Muntz still strapped to it - the Meteor rolled onto its back and continued in a shallow dive until it struck the ground where it was completely destroyed by the impact and the following fire. The pilot died of the injuries he sustained when he struck the ground. WF747 crashed at Chelsfield, 2.5 miles north-east of Biggin Hill.

The Martin-Baker Mk1E Ejector seat had been severely damaged on its right side during landing. Both charges and the drogue pistol had operated normally and no evidence was found to suggest that the seat had been in contact with any part of the aircraft structure. The appearance of the rubber-covered handgrip suggested to crash investigators that it had been 'thrashing' whilst loose in the slipstream. Damage to the pilot's helmet and oxygen mask was consistent with their having been torn from his head by air loads on ejection - all his injuries were consistent with striking the ground on landing except for some bruising on the left hand and right foot which were probably sustained during the ejection itself.

Bizarrely enough, on the same day as this incident occurred, a pilot engaged on the same exercise with WF747 experienced hood disintegration. The pilot of this Meteor stated..

"I immediately decreased speed by extending the air brakes and commenced to climb. The ejection seat blind was pulled out of its stowage without my having touched it. The blind handle was flapping around behind my head and I realised that the ejector seat was in danger of firing itself off. I was unable to extend my arms sufficiently to reach the handle - I decided it would be safe to return to Biggin Hill at a speed not exceeding 175 knots".

According to an eyewitness report:

"I was 8 years old and witnessed the accident, aircraft was part of a 'rat & terrier' exercise chasing a USAF. F-80 or F-84 'hostiles' at very low level across Orpington in an Easterly direction. Another Meteor also lost its canopy, but the pilot managed to land safely back at Biggin Hill."

According to a contemporary newspaper report in "The Times" April 27, 1953 (see link #3):

"A Royal Air Force jet Meteor fighter from Biggin Hill crashed near Chelsfield Kent, on Saturday, having flown on after the pilot had bailed out. The body of the pilot was found in the ejector seat of the aircraft seven miles away"

Pilot of Meteor WF747:
Flying Officer Colin Lee Irving Muntz, RAF (Pilot, Service Number 3129265) - killed on active service 25/4/53. Buried at Biggin Hill Cemetery, Church Road, Biggin Hill, Kent.

1. Eyewitness Report
2. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.144 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
3. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 362-363
4. The Times, Monday, Apr 27, 1953; pg. 3; Issue 52606; col D
5. https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?104883-Gloster-Meteor-Crash-List
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WF
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=662.0
8. http://600squadronassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Right-of-The-Line-Dec-2018-141218.pdf
9. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/148: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424269
10. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2629: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578475
11. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4490.0
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsfield

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jun-2008 22:59	JINX	Added
31-Mar-2010 23:06	poppy	Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Jan-2011 12:05	Terry	Updated [Source]
10-Jan-2012 14:02	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Jan-2012 14:04	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Source]
09-Mar-2015 16:54	Apen	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Narrative]
24-Oct-2017 21:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
06-Jan-2020 01:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
15-Feb-2020 21:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
09-Oct-2021 15:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Category]
28-Jun-2023 09:52	Nepa	Updated [[Source, Category]]