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Date: | Friday 8 June 1951 |
Time: | day |
Type: | de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5 |
Owner/operator: | 14 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | VV538 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Fassberg Air firing Range, 4 miles east of RAF Fassberg, Lower Saxony -
Germany
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Fassberg, Ger. (ETHS) |
Destination airport: | |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:De Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 VV538, 14 Squadron,["V"] RAF: Written off (destroyed) 8 /6/51 when crashed at the Fassberg Air firing Range, 4 miles East of RAF Fassberg, Germany. Pilot killed.
The aircraft pulled away from a dive attack on the Fassberg Firing Ranges, and the the nose suddenly dropped, and the aircraft dived into the ground at a steep angle. It is believed that the cockpit canopy shattered as the result of a ricochet of a 20mm cannon shell fired by the DH Vampire, and this either injured and/or distracted the pilot. Another source (see link #1) states the door of the gun bay came off in flight, and that was what struck and shattered the canopy.
Crew of Vampire VV538:
F/Lt (128905) Peter Frederick WINGATE DFC (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 8/6/51
Vampire FB.Mk.5 VV538 was delivered 7/1/49, and served as "T-V" of 93 Squadron from 11/10/50. To 14 Squadron as "V" from 9/3/51. Written off (destroyed) 8/6/51 as per the above
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.115. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 145
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/54:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424175 4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2530:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578376 5.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV 6.
http://www.rafjever.org/93squadaircraft.htm Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
28-Dec-2019 15:44 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
28-Dec-2019 16:10 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
07-Jul-2023 09:12 |
Nepa |
Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |