Date:	Friday 23 May 1947
Time:	night
Type:	Avro Lincoln B Mk 2
Owner/operator:	61 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RF365
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Coleby, 2 miles SW of RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Avro Lincoln RF365: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 23 May 1947 when crashed near Coleby, North Kesteven, 2 miles South West of RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

The aircraft was making a night GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) approach to RAF Waddington at night in adverse weather conditions, when the pilot was advised that he was 150 feet above the safe glide slope. The pilot then descended below the glide path, the aircraft then developed a swing, crashed short of the runway and then caught fire. Two of the crew of six were killed, the other four sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Crew fatalities
Navigator II (1864065) Flt-Sgt Ronald Ernest Travers Hines (Navigator) RAFVR - killed on active service 23-5-1947, buried at All Saints Churchyard Carshalton, London Borough of Sutton, Greater London, England
AC.2 (3101262) Barry Biggins (pass.) RAFVR- killed on active service 23-5-47,
buried at Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Surviving Crew:
Flying-Officer Ronald Broadbent (pilot) RAFVR- survived although injured. Suffered from burns to both hands, a badly fractured jaw and broken ankle; taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead, Sussex for extensive and prolonged treatment. Aged 23, he had logged some 640-flying hours at the time of the crash.
Warrant Officer Osborne, RAFVR - wireless-operator, survived injured. Broken arm. Rescued Flight-Sergeant Morrison, RAFVR - survived injured with back and head injuries.
AC.2 (Aircraftman 2nd Class) Church RAFVR - survived injured, head injuries.

The other three injured crew were taken to the RAF Hospital at Rauceby, Lincolnshire for treatment

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.25. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.314-315
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Avro_Lincoln
5. 61 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-46 to 31-7-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) AIR27/2426/10: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420204
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2434122/ronald-ernest-travers-hines/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2413749/barry-biggins/
8. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95780949/ronald-ernest_travers-hines
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100031296/barry-biggins
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=20913
11. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/290061
12. https://aircrewremembered.com/broadbent.html
13. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1947
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._61_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleby,_North_Kesteven
16. AIR 27/2426/10 - Ops Record Book, 61 Sqn, for 1947. UK National Archives (Crown Copyright)
17. Lincolnshire Echo - May 24th and 26th 1947.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-May-2023 01:02	Dr. John Smith	Added
16-May-2023 01:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated
16-May-2023 09:07	Nepa	Updated
25-May-2025 16:26	paul allonby	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]