Date:	Wednesday 27 June 1951
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire F Mk 1
Owner/operator:	de Havilland Aircraft Ltd
Registration:	TG313
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Brides Farm, Hertford Heath, near Hertford, Hertfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Hatfield Airfield, Hertfordshire (EGTH)
Destination airport:	Hatfield Airfield, Hertfordshire (EGTH)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DeHavilland DH.100 Vampire F.Mk.1 TG313: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed at Brides Farm, Hertford Heath, near Hertford, Hertfordshire, on 27/6/1951 whilst on a post overhaul test flight. The aircraft broke up in flight for reasons not ascertained, and the pilot was thrown clear of the disintegrating airframe. He recovered in time to open his parachute, and descended safely to earth.

Crew of Vampire TG313
Mr. Scott King (DeHavilland Civilian Test Pilot) - bailed out, survived uninjured

It should be noted that one official Air Ministry file at the National Archives (File BT 233/59) gives the crash location as "Brides Farm, Hertford Heath, near Hertford, Hertfordshire" as per the above. However, the other file (File AVIA 5/31/S2535) gives the crash location as "Box Wood, Hertford" [sic]. The two locations are approximately 1.5 miles apart. Colin Cummings book "Last Take Off" (see link #2) gives the crash location as "Haileybury College, Hertfordshire" [sic] which is halfway between the two. All of which implies that, having broken up in flight at a considerable altitude, the wreckage of Vampire TG313 was scattered over a wide area.

1. Halley, James J (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.115. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 151
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/59: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424180
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2535: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578381
6. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Mar-2013 12:50	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Mar-2013 12:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location]
23-Dec-2019 22:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Jan-2020 21:57	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
01-Feb-2021 03:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]