Date:	Wednesday 16 June 1954
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire F Mk 3
Owner/operator:	4 CAACU RAF
Registration:	VT820
MSN:	EEP.42395
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Llandow, Llandow, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Llandow, Glamorgan
Destination airport:	RAF Llandow, Glamorgan
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland Vampire F.3 VT820 of 4 CAACU crashed 16-6-54 on the airfield at RAF Llandow, Glamorgan, killing the pilot. The aircraft approached in a shallow dive at about 300-400 feet and at high speed. The port wing tip was seen to bend upwards, and this was followed by the complete wing, which broke off and struck the tailplane, which also fractured. The aircraft rolled to starboard and struck the ground.

Crew of Vampire VT820:
Flight Lt Arthur Edward Stuart Whetter, DFC, RAF (pilot, Service Number 146314, aged 37)

In all four aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in the crash of De Havilland Vampire VT820:

De Havilland Vampire F.Mk.3 VT820 - destroyed/written off, pilot killed (see above)
Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVI TE300 - damaged by flying debris, deemed damaged beyond repair and struck off charge
Airspeed Oxford NM409 - damaged by flying debris, repaired and returned to service
De Havilland Vampire F.Mk.3 VT815 - damaged by flying debris, repaired and returned to service

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.159 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 88)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.63
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/213: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424334
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
6. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-May-2019 22:13	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-May-2019 07:23	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
08-Jan-2020 20:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source]
08-Jan-2020 21:04	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]
12-Apr-2020 20:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
12-Apr-2020 21:05	Investig	Updated [Operator, Operator]
13-Apr-2020 19:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]