This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Friday 2 November 1956 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Fairey Firefly U.8 |
| Owner/operator: | RAE Aberporth GWTW (Guided Weapons Trials Wing) |
| Registration: | WM887 |
| MSN: | F.8942 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cardigan Bay, 3.5 miles off Aberporth Beach, Ceredigion, Dyfed -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAE Llanbedr, Gwynedd (EGOD) |
| RAE Llanbedr, Gwynedd (EGOD) |
Fairey Firefly U.8 WM887: Ordered from Fairey Aircraft Ltd., Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire as a Firefly AS.7, but completed as a Firefly U.8 drone, and first flown as such 22/2/1955 at Ringway Airport, Manchester
Delivered to RAE Aberporth GWTW (Guided Weapons Trials Wing) 19/5/1955. Sustained Cat.3(R) damaged when nosed over on landing at RAE Llanbedr, near Harlech, Gwynedd. Repaired on site by Contractor's Working Party, and returned to service. Took part in the 1956 Battle of Britain Air Display at RAF Hawarden, Cheshire on 15/9/1956 in the static display.
Written off (destroyed) 2/11/1956: Crashed into Cardigan Bay, 3.5 miles off Aberporth Beach, Ceredigion, Dyfed, during a flight from Llanbedr.
WM887 was formally Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ on 30/1/1957
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain,2004 p.299)
2. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WM
3. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fairey_firefly_U8.html
4. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_drones.htm
5. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060025563
6. https://www.rafaberporth.org.uk/page6.html
7. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060025588
8. https://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/22279/hawarden-battle-britain-display-amended
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Sep-2020 22:41 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation