Date:	Thursday 14 December 1950
Time:	15:00 LT
Type:	North American Harvard T Mk 2B
Owner/operator:	HQ Flt FTS CF RAF
Registration:	FX389
MSN:	14A-1692
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Buston Farm, Eversley, Hook, near Blackbushe, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Woodley Aerodrome, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American Harvard T.2B (ex-USAAF 43-34806). Delivered to the RAF August 1944 as FX389. No 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School, Newton, Nottinghamshire August 1944. To No 7 Flying Instructor School, Upavon, Pewsey, Wiltshire October 1945. Then to Central Flying School, Little Rissington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire May 1946. To HQ Flight FTS CF (Headquarters Flight, Flying Training School Communications Flight), RAF May 1947 as "FKN-B". Written off (destroyed) 14 December 1950 when crashed at Buston Farm, Eversley, Hook, near Blackbushe, Hampshire. Both crew killed.

On the afternoon of 14th December 1950, Harvard FX389 of Headquarters Flight, Flying Training School Communication Flight took off from Woodley airfield with Squadron Leader C.T. Stimpson as pilot and Flight Lieutenant R.M. Hall as safety pilot. There is some uncertainty as to who was captain of the aircraft, although witnesses who were present at the time of the pre-flight briefing appeared to confirm that the responsibilities of Stimpson and Hall were quite clear, in that Flight Lieutenant Hall was captain of the aircraft. The Flight Authorisation Book, however, showed Squadron Leader Stimpson as Captain, but Flight Lieutenant Hall had initialled the flight as captain.

Confused? Well, Stimpson had a flight restriction placed on him (Medical Category A3G7, Non-Operational Flying, Co-Pilot Only), and Hall was along as safety pilot in what was, essentially, a joy-ride. Stimpson had been injured in the crash of a Gloster Meteor in April 1950. The official Air Ministry/RAF Board of Inquiry concluded that Squadron Leader Stimpson should not have flown the Harvard, and that he had not fully recovered from his injuries, making him unfit to fly.

When near Blackbushe airfield, the Harvard was seen carrying out 'figures of eight' and low level spins. A witness described the crash, stating that the Harvard was in level flight at between 500' and 1,000' when it commenced a dive, during which the wings of the aircraft folded back along the body, and the aircraft dived into a small fir plantation. Both occupants were killed in the impact. One rather telling fact did emerge from the subsequent inquiry - the crash occurred only a mile from the house of Squadron Leader Stimpson.

According to an eyewitness statement:

"Mr. Victor Clifton Ashford, 27, Site 6, Yateley, Hants, states:-

I am in charge of the M.C.A. Fire Station at Blackbushe aerodrome. I was on duty on 14th December 1950 at 1500 hours. At 1500 hours I received from the Duty Air Traffic Controller a Crash Warning in respect of a Harvard aircraft which had crashed approximately North of the airfield. The crash crew, of which I was a member, proceeded at once to the scene of the crash. Its actual location given to me by a member of the Forestry Commission who was working in the area. We were the first on the scene, and found the aircraft wreckage was spread over a large area. A small fire was extinguished near the point of impact. The fire was burning on a small piece of structure. We found two bodies, both of which were clear of any wreckage and also detached from parachutes. We collected the bodies and transported them to Fleet mortuary. Just before departure the Civil police arrived at the scene of the accident. During the journey to the scene of the crash I observed a Mosquito aircraft circling over the location of the aircraft that had crashed."

Crew of Harvard FX389 (both killed):
Flight Lieutenant Reginald Maurice Hall (co-pilot/safety pilot, Service Number 56259)
Squadron Leader Charles Trevor Stimpson, DFC, RAF (pilot, Service Number 450223)

1. Halley, James J (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.109 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 99
3. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p 109)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT220/10: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424131
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2510: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578356
6. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6505.0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Dec-2019 00:19	Dr. John Smith	Added
24-Dec-2019 09:43	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative, Operator]
03-Feb-2020 23:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Feb-2020 10:47	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
19-Jul-2020 21:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
06-Jan-2021 21:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Narrative]