Date:	Wednesday 12 June 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Airspeed Oxford Mk I
Owner/operator:	21(P) AFU RAF
Registration:	AS682
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Perton RLG, 3 miles NW of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Perton RLG, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Airspeed Oxford Mk.1 AS682 (21 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF), RAF Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire. Delivered to 21(P)AFU, 9 February 1946. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 12 June 1946 in a takeoff accident at RAF Perton RLG, 3 miles North West of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire

The pilot attempted to take off from RAF Perton with the flaps set in the fully DOWN position, which was an inappropriate setting for takeoff. As a result, the Airspeed Oxford failed to gain sufficient flying speed to get airborne. The pilot raised the undercarriage in order to facilitate an emergency stop, but the grass was wet, the aircraft ran off the end of the runway at RAF Perton at high speed, and crashed through the perimeter fence.

Although the aircraft was written off as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and therefore "damaged beyond repair", the crew appear to have escaped uninjured.

RAF Perton is a former Royal Air Force Relief Landing Ground (RLG) located 3.2 miles (5.1 km) north west of Wolverhampton, West Midlands and 10.2 miles (16.4 km) north east of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. It was open between 1941 and 1946 and was built on the site of a former First World War airfield. It was used as a RLG (Relief Landing Ground) for No. 21 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit between 1 August 1943 and 16 July 1946.

In August 1946, the airfield and its associated buildings were put under the Care and Maintenance programme after the last Airspeed Oxfords of 21 (P)AFU left in the previous month. In 1947 RAF Perton was abandoned and given to the Agricultural Land Commission with the Dutch camp becoming a refugee camp for Poles, Latvians and Lithuanians until 1950 when it was converted to housing and occupied until 1962.

The airfield site was sold off for development in 1972, and village of New Perton now occupies the site of the former airfield.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.44. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft AA100-AZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 2001 p 123)
4. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.161
5. 21 (P) AFU ORB (Operational Record Book) for the period 1-7-43 to 31-7-47: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/549/4 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7160833
6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Perton
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._215_Advanced_Flying_School_RAF#Previous_identities
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perton#New_Perton

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jul-2021 16:37	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Jul-2021 16:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
22-Jul-2021 18:12	Lelek	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
23-Jul-2021 10:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
24-Jul-2021 17:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
23-Jun-2023 20:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative]]