Date:	Friday 6 April 1956
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	4 FTS RAF
Registration:	WA104
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	3 miles SSE of RAF Middleton St. George, County Durham -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham
Destination airport:	RAF Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DeHavilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 WA104: Delivered 15/5/50. RAF Service career was with 249 Squadron, 233 OCU RAF Pembrey, and 4 FTS RAF Middleton St. George

Written off (destroyed) when crashed 6/4/1956 after in-flight fire, and aircraft dived into the ground three miles South South East of RAF Middleton, St. George, County Durham. At the conclusion of a sortie from RAF Middleton St. George, only the nose wheel and port main undercarriage came down. The aircraft twice flew past the Control tower at Middleton St. George (so that the ATC could visually confirm the undercarriage problem). ATC also noted that the Vampire was trailing grey smoke behind the fuselage.

The aircraft then climbed to an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet and a small explosion took place, which blew off the gun bay doors, which fell to the ground. The aircraft then rolled to starboard and dived into the ground three miles south south east of RAF Middleton St. George.

The pilot was killed: it is believed that he attempted to bail out, but became "hung up" and the parachute was snagged and he collided with the tailplane.

Crew of Vampire WA104:
Pilot Officer Kenneth Charles Stuart Dight RAF (pilot, Service Number 4158229, aged 20) - killed on active service 6/4/56

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.179 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 7)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/333: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424454
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/34/S2814: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578594
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WA
6. http://www.dtvmovements.co.uk/Info/Mil/Mil1956.htm
7. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1956.htm
8. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Mar-2008 07:50	JINX	Added
08-Jun-2008 15:06	JINX	Updated
06-Mar-2013 15:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
18-May-2015 18:02	MiG21	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
10-Jan-2020 22:00	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Nature, Operator]
18-Jan-2020 18:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative]
18-Jan-2020 19:03	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]
13-Jun-2020 21:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
13-Jun-2020 21:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jun-2020 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
14-Jun-2020 08:15	MIG21	Updated [Operator, Operator]