Date:	Monday 14 January 1952
Time:	c. 1105
Type:	North American Harvard Mk 2b
Owner/operator:	22 FTS RAF
Registration:	FT415
MSN:	14A-1455
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Wool Packs, Kinder Scout, near Edale, Derbyshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
NA Harvard, USAAF Serial 43-13156 (MSN 14A-1455). Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FT415. To No 17 Service Flying Training School, Wellingore, Lincolnshire July 1944. To No 1 Flying Training School, Spitalgate, Lincolnshire June 1947. To RAF College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire February 1948. To No 22 Flying Training School, Syerston, Nottinghamshire April 1951 As "FCI-D".

Crashed at Kinder Scout, Derbyshire 14 January 1952. Pilot killed. The Fleet Air Arm student pilot had taken off from RAF Syerston near Newark on Trent at 09:56 hours on a daytime cross-country navigation exercise. The RAF Court of Inquiry recorded that Midshipman Farley had been authorised to carry out Navigation Exercise No.10 and that the weather at the time was suitable for this. The route of this was Syerston–Cirencester/Kemble–Bottesford–Syerston. This route would have taken him southwest from the airfield with the return a little further to the east to pass over Bottesford near Grantham.

In response to radio communications from the pilot, two true bearings from Syerston were passed to the pilot at 10:30 and 11:05. After the aircraft had failed to return to Syerston by 12:45, the station took overdue action, and a search for the aircraft was initiated.

The official accident report states that the aircraft “was seen by witness flying at a height of 30 to 40 feet and appeared to be following the railway line. On being confronted by a tunnel pilot put the aircraft into a steep climb, but was unable to clear a hill. The court were of the opinion that the pilot did not complete the cross country exercise as breifed, but attempted to fly to Stockport which was his home town. The pilot failed to have his flight plan checked before take off. Fire on impact gear not operated.

A newspaper report of the time gives a description of the finding of the aircraft: "Crossing Kinder Scout from Edale to Hayfield, on Saturday afternoon, four Manchester hikers found a crashed plane. The aircraft, a two seater single engined Harvard trainer had been missing for five days. News of the crashed plane was passed by the hikers to Mr. Forrester, of the Tunstead Guest House, who telephoned the police at Hayfield".

Immediately a police search party was formed – Sergeant Oldham (Glossop) Constable F. Starkey (New Mills), Constable A. Norman (Hayfield) and Constable A. Seckington (Charlesworth).

Leaving the police car at Coldwell Clough Farm, Kinder, they were joined by Mr. Harry Hallam and James Waterhouse, whose intimate knowledge of the moorland proved invaluable. After battling for two hours over rough, treacherous ground, and snow drifts as deep as seven feet, the rescue party conducted a close search of the area around Jacobs Ladder. Apart from hand torches they had a paraffin pressure lamp which proved of great assistance. It was 8.20 p.m. when Mr. Hallam, Mr. Waterhouse and Constable Starkey found the yellow coloured plane. Both wings had been ripped away. The front of the plane, buried in the hillside was extensively damaged. The rear was only slightly damaged. Part of the plane was burned. Word was passed to the RAF Mountain Rescue Squad searchers who were in the vicinity, approaching the crash from the Edale side, they were directed to the wreckage. The RAF men took the body from the cockpit and it was removed by sledge over deep snow to Bamford.

At four o’clock on Sunday morning less than four hours after he had returned to New Mills Police Station Constable Starkey, who used to be stationed at Hayfield, again made the climb to the crashed plane. With him was Motor Patrol Constable Marshall of Buxton they escorted to the aircraft two RAF Police from Wilmslow, who made a search for means of identifying the body.

The reason for the aircraft being at least 45 miles off course was never really determined, though it has been noted that the student was from Stockport and the crash site lies close to the route from Syerston to Stockport. It was thought he was possibly following the Sheffield to Stockport railway line but struck the side of Kinder Scout near the head of Edale

Crew Fatality:
Midshipman Brian FARLEY, Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy. On Assignment from HMS Merlin (RNAS Donibristle), pilot, aged 20 of Briarfield Road, Heaton Chapel, Stockport - killed on duty 14/1/1952

A memorial cross was erected at the accident site, about 2 km northwest of Upper Booth in the Hope Valley. In a remote inhospitable moorland on the southwestern flank of Kinder Plateau, between Jacob's Ladder and Pym Chair, a few metres south of the un-named footpath between Noe Stool, Pym Chair and Crowdon Tower.

Note that Avro Anson NL185, of the BCCF (Bomber Command Communication Flight) RAF was on a ferry flight when the pilot became lost in poor weather crashing into the area of Kinder Scout on 23/11/1945. The location of this crash was 150 yards from where Harvard FT415 came down. According to several hill walking forums, the wreckage of the two aircraft have become intermingled over time.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 124 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 211
3. The Harvard File (John F. Hamlin, Air Brtiain, 1988 p102)
4. Peakland Air Crashes, The North; Pat Cunningham; Landmark Collectors Library; 2006; ISBN 1 84306 330 1; pp76-77.
5. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
6. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/peak-district/north-american-harvard-ft415-wool-packs/
7. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1952.htm
8. https://www.derbyshirewarmemorials.com/hpeak/56109/56109.html
9. https://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-sites-5/north-american-harvard-at6-texan-ft415-on-kinder-scout/
10. http://www.stevelewis.me.uk/page17.php
11. https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/56109
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Scout
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edale

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-May-2010 15:05	angels one five	Added
30-Nov-2012 04:55	Nepa	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative]
08-May-2013 12:47	angels one five	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Location]
04-Feb-2014 09:04	angels one five	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
22-Jun-2018 08:47	A.J. Scholten	Updated [Cn, Source]
06-Dec-2018 18:00	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]
21-Feb-2021 23:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Feb-2021 23:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
22-Feb-2021 00:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source]