Date:	Wednesday 19 February 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	9 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	TX988
MSN:	ALD.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Ichhawar, 20 miles south-south west of Bophal, Madhya Pradesh -   India
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF
Destination airport:

Narrative:
TX988: Spitfire FR XIV, built at Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Aldermaston with Griffon G65 engine. To 29MU RAF High Ercoll, Shropshire 30-4-45. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 1-6-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Empire Kumasi' 19-7-45, arriving India 14-8-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 23-8-45. To 9 Squadron RIAF by 1-12-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 19-2-47 when engine cut and aircraft belly-landed near Ichhawar, Madhya Pradesh, Sehore District, 20 miles South South-West of Bhopal. The pilot was undertaking a cross country NAVEX (navigation exercise) when the aircraft's engine failed due to the magneto collapsing. The pilot then made an immediate 'engine out' wheels-up belly landing, and the Spitfire was severely damaged in the landing.

Crew of Spitfire TX988
F/O (IND/3173) Sarangapani Srinivasan (pilot) RIAF- survived with minor injuries

Ichhawar Assembly constituency is one of the 230 Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) constituencies of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is part of Sehore District.

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.275
2. 9 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-5-1945 to 30-6-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/139/25: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407802
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p114.html
4. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/
5. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TX988
6. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/TX988
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3173
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._9_Squadron_IAF
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichhawar_Assembly_constituency

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Sep-2023 00:25	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-Sep-2023 16:45	Nepa	Updated