Date:	Thursday 4 December 1952
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor T Mk 7
Owner/operator:	211 AFS RAF
Registration:	WL402
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Retford Farm, 3 miles North of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WL402 had a short life: it was delivered to the RAF on October 4th 1952, and destroyed in a fatal crash exactly two months later, on December 4th 1952. Both crew were killed when the Meteor T.7 crashed at 'Retford Farm' near Sutton-cum-Lound, 3 miles North of Retford, Nottinghamshire. during asymmetrical training.

WL402 Dived into ground during single engine practice. The aim of the sortie was to demonstrate the effects of critical speed with each of the engines throttled back alternatively.

The aircraft was seen to dive into the ground, and the probable cause was that the demonstration flying was taking place at about 3,000 feet - an altitude when it was not possible to effect recovery before striking the ground, or that control was lost whilst trying to effect recovery.

Crew of Meteor WL402:
Pilot Officer (1592375) Colin Glover (QFI Instructor Pilot) RAF - killed in service 4/12/1952
Pilot Officer (2531352) Gerald Dudley Hopkins (pilot) RAF - killed in service 4/12/1952

The report crash location of Sutton-Cum-Lound is a village located in Bassetlaw, north Nottinghamshire. It is located 3 miles from Retford, at approximate co ordinates 53.35°N, 0.98°W

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.138 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 316
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/126: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424247
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2606: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578452
5. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p.73)
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WL
7. http://rafworksop.btck.co.uk/AircraftBasedatWorksop
8. http://rafworksop.btck.co.uk/ThosewhoservedanddiedfortheRAF
9. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39499/supplement/1676/data.pdf
10. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39562/supplement/3069/data.pdf
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_cum_Lound

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Jun-2008 09:34	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 08:56	Xindel	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
26-Feb-2017 22:01	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
29-Dec-2019 19:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative]
29-Dec-2019 22:57	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator]
01-Apr-2021 01:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
01-Apr-2021 10:02	Xindel	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
01-Apr-2021 17:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]