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

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

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]]