Date:	Monday 5 October 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	222 (Natal) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WK939
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Tentsmuir Point, Tenstmuir Forest, Fife -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife (ADX/EGQL)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WK939, 222 (Natal) Squadron, RAF: Delivered 9/3/1953. Written off (destroyed) 5/10/1953 when the aircraft caught fire in flight,during a live air to ground firing exercise. The pilot abandoned the aircraft, and ejected safely, parachutung to the ground. Meteor WK939 came down at Tentsmuir Point, Tenstmuir Forest, Fife

Crew of Meteor WK939:
Flying Officer (3510611) R A Locke, RAF (pilot) - bailed out, ejected safely, parachuted to ther ground

According to the London Gazette of 15/2/1671: "Flight Lieutenant R. A. LOCKE (3510611), retired from the RAF retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. 21st May 1971" [see link #6]

The reported crash location of Tentsmuir Forest is in north east Fife, Scotland. Covering some 5 square miles (13 sq km), the forest was originally sand dunes and moorland before acquisition by the Forestry Commission in the 1920s. Three parts of the area, Morton Lochs, Tentsmuir Point and Tayport Heath are managed by NatureScot, and are now designated as Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, with Tentsmuir Forest covering most of the land between the three portions of the NNR.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.150 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.419
4. 222 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 31/12/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2475 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505113
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WK
6. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45396/supplement/6315/data.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tentsmuir_Forest

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jun-2008 18:20	JINX	Added
19-Jan-2012 02:25	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Phase, Source]
18-May-2021 20:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]