Date:	Tuesday 26 February 1957
Time:	day
Type:	Westland Whirlwind HAR.2 (S-55)
Owner/operator:	22 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XK989
MSN:	WA/145
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Thorney Creek, 1 mile off Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Westland Whirlwind HAR.2, XK989, first flown: 14 November 1956, delivered to the Royal Air Force as XK989, 3 December 1956, to 22 Squadron at RAF Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire.

Written off (damaged beyond economic repair) 26 February 1957 when lost height during winching exercise and ditched into Thorney Creek, one mile off Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire. All three crew survived uninjured.

Struck off charge as Cat.5(gi) 16 April 1957, and to 7415M as a ground instructional airframe at RAF Halton

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.188 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p.53)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.234
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/384: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424505
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/36/S2867: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578647
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XK
7. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/26596/
8. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
9. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1957.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Jan-2013 14:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Feb-2013 10:21	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
23-Jan-2020 18:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Jan-2020 18:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
23-Jan-2020 18:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Destination airport, Source]
23-Jan-2020 22:49	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Operator]
29-Jul-2020 19:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]