Date:	Friday 23 October 1953
Time:	15:30
Type:	English Electric Canberra B.2
Owner/operator:	TFU RAF
Registration:	WF892
MSN:	71093
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sowton near RAF Exeter, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Exeter, Devon (EXT/EGTE)
Destination airport:	RAF Defford, Worcestershire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
English Electric Canberra WF892 (Telecommunications Flying Establishment at Defford):
Delivered 08/07/1952. Written off 23/10/1953 when crashed at Sowton, near RAF Exeter, Devon.

During the take off run from RAF Exter, Devon, the aircraft flew into a flock of birds. The pilot throttled back both engines, and appears to be making a forced landing "staight ahead" of the runway at RAF Exeter. However, there were houses and trees in the intended path for the forced landing, and so the pilot opened up the throttles, in an attempt to climb above these. Unfortunately, by this point, the aircraft was flying too slowly, and therefore the pilot lost control. The Canberra then stalled and crashed about 800 yards from the upwind end of the runway at RAF Exeter, and broke apart on impact. Both crew were killed
Crew of Canberra WF892:
F/Lt (575039) Peter John CLARKE (pilot) RAF - killed in service 23/10/1953
S/Ldr (46307) William Alfred ALLINSON DFC DFM (navigator) RAF- killed in service 23/10/1953

The reported crash location of Sowton is a village and civil parish east of Exeter in East Devon, England.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
4. http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=228
5. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1745378
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WF
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sowton

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2008 12:32	JINX	Added
27-Jan-2012 08:55	ray jeffery	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
04-Apr-2013 00:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Mar-2015 20:55	Anon.	Updated [Location]
02-Dec-2018 17:53	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
23-May-2019 19:26	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
08-Jan-2020 20:05	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
19-May-2021 20:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-May-2021 15:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
11-Jul-2023 20:38	Nepa	Updated [[Narrative]]