Date:	Monday 19 April 1948
Time:
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito B Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	CSE RAF
Registration:	PF553
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF stn Watton, East Dereham, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, East Dereham, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Mosquito PF553: (Central Signals Establishment) Destroyed by fire. 19/04/1948
During maintenance, a fuel leak was discovered on Mosquito PF553, and the aircraft was towed out of the hangar at RAF Watton, so that the affected fuel tank could be drained, and then removed. During this operation, work on the Mosquito's electrical systems was allowed to continue (despite the risks of sparks). As the fuel draining operation was almost completed, a spark ignited the fuel; the subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. However, there was no casualties or injuries among the ground crew.

1. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings.
4. ORB CSE RAF: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1911:
5. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101621
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Watton#Postwar_RAF_use

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Aug-2013 19:23	JINX	Added
30-Sep-2013 12:04	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport]
31-May-2014 13:46	Nepa	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
31-Jul-2014 12:07	Nick Slaughter	Updated [Location]
31-Jul-2015 10:33	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location]
18-Sep-2019 19:06	Nepa	Updated [Other fatalities, Narrative, Operator]
20-Aug-2021 21:32	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, Operator]