Date:	Thursday 11 October 1945
Time:
Type:	Taylorcraft Auster I
Owner/operator:	329 (GC 1/2 Cigognes) Sqn RAF
Registration:	LB298
MSN:	168
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Straight Point, 4 Km SE of Exmouth, Devon -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Exeter, Devon (EXT/EGHE)
Destination airport:	Straight Point, near Exmouth, Devon

Narrative:
Delivered to 20 MU RAF Aston Down on 11/9/42, before being issued to 654 Squadron on 16/9/42. On the 25/9/42, LB298 encountered poor visibility due to industrial haze and rain, and force-landed in a field at Carlton Hall, South Carlton, Nottinghamshire. On landing the undercarriage sank into soft ground causing the aircraft to overturn.

Conveyed to Rearsby for repairs seven days later, LB298 was returned to the squadron on 4/12/42. On 24/12/ 42 it was flown to 47 MU RAF Sealand, Cheshire for packaging, but instead was released for 652 Squadron on 1/2/43, passing on to 656 Squadron on 20/3/43.

Within a few weeks, LB298 was transferred to 43 OTU, on 7/4/ 43, but was involved in a flying accident on 21/6/43. Repairs appear to have taken some considerable time, for when completed it was handed over to 20 MU RAF Aston Down for storage on 7/10/43. Eventually, on 31/5/44, it was released for Turnhouse Station Flight until 6/7/44 when it returned to 20 MU.

Finally, LB298 was released for 329 Squadron at Exeter on 10/5/45 but was written-off several months later during a forced-landing at Straight Point, 4 Km south-east of Exmouth, Devon on 11/10/45. Finding the throttle inoperative the pilot selected the only available field which, as it was too small, necessitated deliberately touching trees that blocked the approach. LB298 was duly struck off charge on 25/10/45

1. Mike Draper, Auster Quarterly, Vol 1 No 2 Summer 1975
2. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. pp.12. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
3. http://austerhg.org/prod_list/pages.php?page=60
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Point

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
03-Jul-2008 02:16	harro	Updated
22-Dec-2012 13:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Narrative]
22-Dec-2012 13:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Narrative]]
08-Apr-2013 17:26	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
01-Jun-2013 07:53	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
30-Apr-2014 00:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
30-Apr-2014 00:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Apr-2014 00:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-Apr-2014 00:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
23-Jul-2015 23:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
21-Oct-2019 16:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]