Date:	Thursday 24 June 1954
Time:	day
Type:	English Electric Canberra B.2
Owner/operator:	RAF Flying College
Registration:	WH639
MSN:	71111
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	2.5 miles SW of Doncaster, South Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Manby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
EE Canberra B.2 WH639: Notified as awaiting collection 25/9/52, and delivered 3/10/52. Sole operation RAF service was with the RAF Flying College at Manby, Lincolnshire.

Written off 24/6/1954 when broke up in flight 2.5 miles South-West of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The aircraft was seen to break up whilst flying at high speed at about 10,000 feet. The cause of the structural failure could not be determined although various theories were put forward by the Board of Inquiry.

Both crew were killed:
Group Captain Richard Thomas Fairfax Gates DFC AFC, RAF (Pilot, aged 40)
Flight Lieutenant Peter Oliver RAF (Navigator, aged 32)

Canberra WH639 was formally struck off charge as Cat.5(scrap) on 12/7/54

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, 1983 p 51)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.67
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/218: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424339
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WH
6. http://www.ukserials.com/prodlists.php?type=989
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/07117.php

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Jun-2008 19:18	JINX	Added
04-Apr-2013 19:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
14-Sep-2016 18:29	peter ross	Updated [Date]
15-Mar-2018 15:18	Anon.	Updated [Date]
10-Jan-2020 23:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]
10-Jan-2020 23:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
13-Apr-2020 21:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]