Date:	Saturday 10 July 1954
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	502 (Ulster) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WA292
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1 mile WSW of Kirkistown, County Down, Northern Ireland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DH Vampire WA292: Delivered 9/1/51. Operational RAF service was with 502 (Ulster) Squadron, RAF only coded "V9-D".

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 10/7/54: Engine failed after blade failure, hit wall in forced landing, one mile West-South-West of Kirkistown, Co. Down.
Crew:
F/O (2600930) John Patrick Victor GRACEY (pilot) RAF - survived with minor injuries

According to the following extract from his obituary:
"Following training in the Queen’s University Air Squadron, 1946 - 1950, he volunteered for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force 502 Squadron, Aldergrove, Co.Antrim in 1950, flying initially Spitfires for less than a year until the squadron was issued the single seater De Havilland Vampire jet fighter (a twin-tailed aircraft). He was a proud fighter pilot and was lucky to survive a live firing incident on 10th July 1954. As reported in the local press, The Times and The News of the World - “an exceptionally clever forced landing by Flying Officer J.P.V. Gracey of 502 (Ulster) Squadron.” After 1954 he was transferred to a squadron at Manchester, where he served until his resignation from the service in 1956"

Note that the pilots rank is often quoted as "Pilot Officer". However he was promoted from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer with effect from 1/10/52.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.160 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p.8)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.71
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WA
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
6. http://www.aviationbanter.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=70614&d=1412860442
7. https://www.bsf.org.uk/blog/news/48-john-gracey-1029-2012
8. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39686/supplement/5809/data.pdf
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkistown_Castle

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-May-2008 15:19	JINX	Added
08-Jun-2008 14:40	JINX	Updated
14-Jun-2013 18:42	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
15-Apr-2020 01:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
30-May-2023 09:18	Nepa	Updated [[Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]]