Date:	Saturday 25 June 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 22
Owner/operator:	502 (Ulster) Sqn RAF
Registration:	PK488
MSN:	CBAF.77
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1.5 miles N of Parwich, 7 miles N of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Spitfire PK403: MSN CBAF.77. Built by Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory with Griffon G61 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 25-9-45. To VA KEE (Vickers Armstrong Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire) for 16-4-47 for modifications. Issued to 502 (Ulster) Squadron 8-10-48 at RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 25-6-49 when ran out of fuel & crash-landed, 1.5 miles North of Parwich, Derbyshire. The pilot had been given incorrect fixes by ATC. As a result, he became lost and short of fuel. On the landing approach, the engine cut out due to fuel starvation, and was severely damaged when force landed one and a half miles north of Parwich, Derbyshire. The pilot, Flt Lt G.A. McDonald survived the incident with no injuries. Aircraft deemed damaged beyond repair, and struck off charge as Cat. E 16-7-49,

With the reactivation of the Auxiliary Air Force, 502 Squadron was reformed on 10-5-46, again at RAF Aldergrove, but now as a light bomber squadron, equipped with Mosquito B.25s from July 1946. In December night fighter Mosquitoes replaced the bombers, but in June 1948 the units of the by now Royal Auxiliary Air Force all converted to the day fighter role, 502 Squadron receiving Spitfire F.22s for the purpose. Jet conversion began in January 1951 with the arrival of Vampire FB.5s, which were supplemented by FB.9s in July 1954. The squadron continued to fly both types until, along with all the flying units of the Royal Auxiliary AF, it was disbanded on 10-3-57.

Parwich is a village and parish in the Derbyshire Dales, 7 miles north of Ashbourne

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. Final Landings - A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p.507
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 502 Squadron RAF ORB 1-7-1946 to 31-3-1957: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2496: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505134
5. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/peak-district/supermarine-spitfire-pk488-parwich/
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p085.html
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79626-pk488
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PK488
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PK488
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._502_Squadron_RAF#Into_the_jet_age
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parwich

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2013 03:39	JINX	Added
25-Dec-2014 16:15	Digger	Updated [Operator]
30-May-2023 08:41	Nepa	Updated [[Operator]]
07-Aug-2023 20:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Operator]]]