Date:	Wednesday 2 September 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	211 AFS RAF
Registration:	WE917
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Cannon P. H. Carlton Road,1.5 miles NW of RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
WE917: Delivered to the RAF at 29 MU High Ercall 1.5.51, First issued to the Central Gunnery School (CGS) 2.7.51 coded FJX-J. Bowser backed into engine nacelle, whilst parked at RAF Leconfield, 24.8.51; damage assessed as Cat 3(R); Repaired On Site at Leconfield and returned to the CGS 17.9.51. Sank back on take-off from RAF Leconfield and damage sustained to engine nacelles, 20.6.52 (pilot, Flight Sgt E F Watolski OK). Damage again assessed as Cat 3(R) and Repaired On Site at Leconfield. Returned to the CGS 4.9.52 coded L

Transferred to 211 AFS 7.10.52. Written off 2.9.53 when lost leading edge of wing; aircraft inverted and dived into ground just north-west of the Cannon Public House, Carlton Road, 1.5 miles North-West of RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire. The aircraft was on an air test after an engine change, and was seen in a diving turn to starboard at 10,000 feet.

At some stage the leading edge panels on the wing came adrift. At 2,000 feet, the canopy came off, and the pilot intended to bail out. However, he appeared to change his mind, stay with the aircraft, and try to land it back at RAF Worksop.

Unfortunately for the pilot, the high speed of the dive from 10,000 to 2,000 feet resulted in a loss of control. As the pilot attempted to pull out of the dive, the aircraft flicked onto its back, and dived vertically into the ground. The pilot was killed.

Crew of Meteor WE917:
Sergeant (1817363) Nicholas Penley (Pilot) RAF - killed in service 2/9/1953.

Note that the official file of the Board of Inquiry into the accident (File BT 233/171) held at the National Archives, Kew, gives the serial of the aircraft involved as "WA917" [sic]. While it is true that there were a batch of Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8s with serials between WA867 to WA999, the serial WA917 was an unused "black out block" serial between WA909 and WA920. The correct serial of the aircraft involved was WE917, as per the above

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.149 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 408
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 36)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/171: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424292
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2652: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578498
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE
7. http://rafworksop.btck.co.uk/ThosewhoservedanddiedfortheRAF
8. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127247114/belville-nicholas-penley
9. https://www.twgpp.org/photograph/view/3132550

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2008 16:39	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 16:54	BlB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
27-May-2017 20:08	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
05-Jan-2020 00:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative]
05-Jan-2020 09:48	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator]
13-May-2021 18:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Source, Narrative]
13-May-2021 19:53	Vicktor	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]