Date:	Saturday 10 March 1945
Time:	11:50
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	1668 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF
Registration:	JB228
MSN:	J9-R
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire
Destination airport:	RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III JB228/J9-R, 1668 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire. Written off (destroyed) on 10 March 1945 in a landing accident at RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire.

The Lancaster took off at 11:15hrs from RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire for a cross-country training flight. While in flght, the port outer engine failed. The engine was feathered, but the pilot was unable to trim the aircraft sufficiently to prevent the aircraft from turning to port.

At 11:50hrs, the Lancaster landed at RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire and swung off the runway, causing the undercarriage to collapse and the aircraft to catch fire.

Of the eight crew, the pilot - Flight Sergeant J P Paddison - and five of the crew were uninjured. However, two of the crew - Sgt. Mitchell and Sgt. D’Arcy - were quite badly hurt and both required treatment at R.A.F. Hospital Rauceby.

Crew of Lancaster JB228:
Pilot: Flight Sergeant J P Paddison
Flight Engineer: Sergeant H L D’Arcy (Injured)
Navigator: Sergeant Cowley.
Air Bomber: Sergeant L A Mitchell. (Injured)
W/Op/Air Gunner: Flying Officer Smith.
Air Gunner: Sergeant Moore.
Air Gunner: Flight/Sergeant Trowbridge.
W/Op/Air Gunner: Sergeant Bradley

1. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
2. Photo of burning Lancaster JB228: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/media/avro-lancaster-b-mk-iii.6248/
3. https://aircrewremembrancesociety3.com/Aircraft-Losses/Royal-Air-Force-Losses/Royal-Air-Force-Losses-1945/10.03.1945.-No.-1668-H.C.U.-Lancaster-III-JB228-Flt-Sgt-Paddison.-Location-Fiskerton-Airfield./
4. http://www.fiskertonairfield.org.uk/photo_12.html
5. 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit RCAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 May 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/614/4 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7160918
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/JB148-JB236/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/May/1.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conversion_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Fiskerton

10 March 1945. Avro Lancaster JB228 of 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit, Fiskerton. On cross-country sortie port outer engine failed. Returned but swung off runway and undercarriage collapsed. Badly damaged and burnt. All 8 crew survived, 2 wounded. pic.twitter.com/P4C47kfcd9

— Ron Eisele (@ron_eisele) March 9, 2023

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Feb-2025 16:47	Dr. John Smith	Added