Date:	27-MAY-1954
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10
Owner/operator:	5 RFS Royal Air Force (5 RFS RAF)
Registration:	WP779
C/n / msn:	C1/0669
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire
Destination airport:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire

Narrative:
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WP779: delivered 19/6/1952, RAF service was with 17 RFS (Reserve Flying School) and 5 RFS.

Written off 27/5/54: During a post-overhaul air test, the aircraft made a slow roll over the airfield at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, Warwickshire, but struck the ground due to the pilot starting the roll at too slow an airspeed and too low altitude. Both crew were killed. According to an eyewitness report (see link #6):

"...the chipmunk that crashed did not crash on the concrete but crashed on the middle of the airfield on grass. I know because I was part of the crash crew. I have photos to prove it: the two crew that perished were an airforce officer and a friend of mine. We both worked for the same company that serviced the aircraft for the airforce they were air testing the aircraft at the time. The aircraft was WP779..."

Crew of Chipmunk WP779:
Flight Lieutenant Jack Netherwood DFC RAF (Instructor Pilot, Service Number 182538, aged 31)
Mr. Douglas S. Jones (Civilian passenger on an "air experience flight", aged 25)

Less than a month later - on 20/6/54 - 5 RFS disbanded at Castle Bromwich.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.158 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 83)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.58
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WP
5. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=103172
6. https://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=252.143

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Apr-2020 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Apr-2020 21:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
10-Apr-2020 21:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Apr-2020 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Nature, Narrative]
11-Apr-2020 08:48	INV	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
12-Apr-2020 00:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]