Date:	Tuesday 23 May 1944
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide
Owner/operator:	Iraq & Persia Comms Flight RAF
Registration:	HK862
MSN:	6410
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sir-Bani-Yas Island, 110 miles SW of Abu Dhabi, Persian Gulf -   United Arab Emirates
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Habbaniya, Iraq
Destination airport:

Narrative:
C/no. 6410: First registered as G-AFFC [C of R 8346] 12.4.38 to Iraq Petroleum Transport Co Ltd, London EC.2 (aircraft based at Haifa, Palestine). (2 x Gipsy Six engines #6859/6860) C of A 6297 issued 2.6.38. C of A lapsed 28.5.40. Registration G-AFFC cancelled 28.5.41 as sold - "taken over by British Military Field Hospital, Jerusalem".

Impressed into the RAF Middle East Air Force as HK862 15.2.42. To 206 Group Communications Flight. To Iraq & Persia Communications Flight, Habbaniya, Iraq 9.42. The Communication Flight, Habbaniya; later became the Communications Flight, Iraq and Persia, then AHQ Communications Flight, Iraq (with detachment at Baghdad).

Damaged in forced landing Sir-Baniyas Island, Abu Dhabi, Persian Gulf 23.5.44 (at approximate coordinates: 24°20′N, 52°36′E) when searching for a missing B-17, which had crashed the previous day; crew of the DH.89 were picked up by Royal Navy but aircraft was abandoned where it crashed. Struck off charge by Mediterranean Allied Air Forces 31.8.44 as Cat.E(FA).

Ṣīr Banī Yās (Arabic: صِير بَنِي يَاس) is a natural island located 170 km (110 mi) southwest of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It lies 9 km (5.6 miles) offshore from Jebel Dhanna, which serves as a crossing point to other islands such as Dalma. Sir Bani Yas is 17.5 km (10.9 miles) from north to south and 9 km (5.6 mi) from east to west, making it the largest natural island in the United Arab Emirates.

NOTE: The crash location was at an airstrip constructed in the 1940s, and is not connected to the present-day Sir Bani Yas Airport (IATA: XSB, ICAO: OMBY) which dates to as recently as 2008. There was also a reported improvised airstrip in the 1970s, which, again is not the location of the above incident

1. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh89.pdf
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFFC.pdf
3. Iraq & Persia Communications Flight RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events 1 December 1940 to 31 August 1946): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/893/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162274
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p064.html
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A10.html
6. http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/80-register-gb-g-af
7. http://pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8302
8. https://modelwork.pl/topic/9178-de-havilland-dh89-dragon-rapide-172-heller/
9. https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302942432
10. https://www.zawya.com/en/business/nissar-hoath-the-uae-and-world-war-ii-rtula5fp
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Bani_Yas
..

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Mar-2019 22:19	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-Mar-2019 22:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
24-Sep-2019 16:45	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, ]
05-Nov-2019 22:43	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
23-Mar-2025 02:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
23-Mar-2025 02:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Category, ]
23-Mar-2025 02:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]