Date:	Wednesday 8 July 1959
Time:	day
Type:	English Electric Canberra B Mk 2
Owner/operator:	231 OCU RAF
Registration:	WJ649
MSN:	HP217B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1/2 mile north-east of RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
EE Canberra B.2 WJ649, 231 OCU: Written off 8/7/1959. Returned to base at RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, after the starboard engine was flamed out due to a drop in RPM. On final approach the aircraft yawed to port and then to starboard with the nose coming up when the pilot allowed air speed to drop too low. WJ649 turned over onto its back and dived into the ground half a mile north east of the airfield, killing the three crew:

Flying Officer D.J.Rogers, RAF (pilot, aged 21, Service Number 2620734)
Pilot Officer M.J. Maule, RAF (navigator, aged 20, Service Number 607928)
Flying Officer J.A.Brink, RAF (wireless operator/bomb aimer, aged 28)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.201 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 61)
3. The Times newspaper, London 9 July 1959
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/414: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424535
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/38/S2945: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578725
5. Gravestone of Pilot Officer M J Maule: https://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/5486526077
6. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1959.htm
7. https://www.janaganamana.net/mana/anything?q=wj649
8. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WJ

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jun-2008 21:11	JINX	Added
17-Jun-2008 10:32	JINX	Updated
08-Apr-2013 18:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
18-Sep-2014 03:58	Robbo	Updated [Narrative]
12-Nov-2018 21:30	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
25-Jan-2020 20:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
25-Jan-2020 20:58	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Operator]
16-Jul-2023 21:26	Nepa	Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Operator]]