Date:	Thursday 10 January 1946
Time:	19:20 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	427 (Lion) Sqn RCAF
Registration:	RF257
MSN:	ZL-C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III RF257, 427 (Lion) Squadron RCAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 10 January 1946 in a landing accident at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire. During the evening of 10 January 1946 this 427 Squadron Lancaster was being flown on a practice bombing exercise, and took off from Leeming airfield at around 17.00hrs.

At 19.20hrs the aircraft returned to land at Leeming too fast, overshot and the pilot deliberately swung the aircraft in an attempt to avoid running through the boundary. He then raised the undercarriage to stop and avoid other obstructions in his path.

The damage was assessed as being Cat. E(FA) and the aircraft was struck off charge some days later.
427 (Lion) Squadron RCAF re-equipped with Avro Lancaster bombers in March 1945, prior to the end of World War II.

After the end of the war (8 May 1945) the Lancasters were used for prisoner of war repatriation until the end of May 1946. 427 Squadron RCAF was stood down on 1 June 1946

Pilot - Flying Officer E T Pennells RCAF (J/37638) plus six further crew - Names unknown.

Brief History of Lancaster RF257
Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract Acft/239
09-04-1945: Issued to 433 (Porcupine) Squadron RCAF at RAF Skipton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire
10-04-1945; Transferred to 427 (Lion) Squadron, RCAF at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire as 'ZL-C'
10-01-1946: Cat. E(FA) Flying accident at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire as per the above
30-01-1946: Struck off charge as Cat.E(FA)

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.32
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
5. 427 Squadron Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the Period 1 July 1945 to 31 May 1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1847/11: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8404583
6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.95: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york46/rf257.html
8. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/RF209-RF294/mobile/index.html
9. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1946/January/1.html
10. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/rfseries/RF257
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/427_Special_Operations_Aviation_Squadron#History
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Leeming#1940s

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Jul-2023 22:02	Dr. John Smith	Added
28-Jul-2023 08:19	Nepa	Updated
25-Jan-2025 23:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Source, Narrative, ]