Date:	Thursday 16 May 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Tempest II
Owner/operator:	54 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MW772
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Chilbolton, 4 miles SE of Andover, Hampshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Chilbolton, Andover, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Chilbolton. Andover, Hampshire

Narrative:
Hawker Tempest II MW772/HF-B of 54 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 16 May 1946 when crashed after mid air collision, RAF Chilbolton, near Andover, Hampshire

Hawker Tempest MW772 was the lead aircraft in a three-aircraft formation, flying at 700 feet agl in the circuit at RAF Chilbolton. (The other two 54 Squadron Hawker Tempest IIs were MW812 (no.2) and MW816 (no.3)). The pilot throttled back sharply to maintain his position relative to the formation ahead. In doing so, he was struck by the no.2 aircraft (MW812). The force of the impact of the collison ripped off the empennage of Tempest MW772, causing the wing of MW772 to fold up and the aircraft to dive into the ground, killing the pilot.

Crew of Tempest MW772
F/Lt (126642) Alan Leslie STOOKE-HALLETT (pilot) RAF VR - killed in service 16-5-46

Of the other two aircraft involved - Tempest Mk.IIs MW812 and WM816 - Tempest MW812 also crashed, killing the pilot. Tempest MW816 was the sole survivor, making an immediate emergency landing at Chilbolton with only minor damage, and no injuries to the pilot.

On 15 November 1945 No. 183 Squadron RAF, a Hawker Tempest ground-attack unit based at RAF Chilbolton was renumbered to No. 54 Squadron and spent a year training pilots destined for overseas service before receiving DH Vampires and moving to RAF Odiham on 22 November 1947.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.42 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.141
3. 54 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1-1-46 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2422/53 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420013
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2441288/ALAN%20LESLIE%20STOOKE%20HALLETT/
5. https://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Chilbolton#Back_to_RAF_Control
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._54_Squadron_RAF#Post_World_War_II

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jul-2021 18:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jul-2021 20:42	Siczak	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
18-Jul-2021 12:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]