Date:	Friday 6 June 1952
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	54 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WK708
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Coldwaltham, 2.4 miles SW of Pulborough, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Odiham, Basingstoke, Hampshire (ODH/EGVO)
Destination airport:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WK708, 54 Sqaudron, RAF: delivered 20/4/1952. Written off 6/6/1952 when crashed near Coldwaltham, Sussex. The aircraft was one of a four-aircraft formation that were diverted to RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex due to poor weather in the Odiham/Basingstoke area.

A high-level QGH (Controlled Descent through cloud) was requested for the four aircraft. The proved abortive, and then all four aircraft were handed over to ATC (Air Traffic Control) for a GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) to Tangmere. However, Meteor WK708 ran out of fuel on the diversion flight. The pilot used what fuel and airspeed he had left to climb to a safe height, then he ejected. However, the ejection seat fouled the parachute after separation, resulting the pilot surviving, but being injured in a "hard" landing

Crew:
Flying Officer R.J. DAVIES (pilot) RAF - ejected and survived, but broke leg on heavy landing.

The reported crash location of Coldwaltham is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is divided in two by the A29 road and lies 2.4 miles southwest of Pulborough

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.129 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.255
4. 54 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/12/1951 to 31/12/1955: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 27/2619/106 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8424699
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WK
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldwaltham

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jun-2008 04:54	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 08:30	ABBA	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative]
09-Mar-2021 20:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2021 09:48	Zoule	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]
12-Mar-2021 19:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
11-Dec-2023 08:10	Ann Kilminster	Updated [[Narrative]]