ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 232923
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| Date: | Monday 21 December 1953 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Westland Wyvern S Mk 4 |
| Owner/operator: | 813 Sqn FAA RN |
| Registration: | VZ751 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Langrish, Stroud, 3 miles west of Petersfield, Hampshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RNAS Ford, (HMS Peregrine) Yapton, West Sussex |
| RNAS Ford, (HMS Peregrine) Yapton, West Sussex | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Westland Wyvern S.Mk.4 VZ751 ("181/FD") of 813 Squadron FAA RN: Written off (destroyed) 21 December 1953 when crashed at Langrish, Stroud, 3 miles west of Petersfield, Hampshire, while engaged in violent manouevres during mock air to air combat with two Gloster Meteors. The pilot (a US Navy exchange pilot) was killed.
Wyvern S.4 VZ751 of 813 Sqn and piloted by Lt Cdr A C Kapruski USN encountered two RAF Meteor jets and entered into a mock dogfight with them. The aircraft were seen to be rolling and climbing as the two pilots jousted with each other. After a few minutes the Wyvern was seen to enter into a steep dive with a tremendous howl coming from its engine, and getting louder as it drew nearer to the ground. It then disappeared behind a hill near the village of Langrish, just outside of Petersfield in Hampshire and crashed, with a resulting pall of black smoke rising into the air. The other aircraft seem to of disappeared rather quickly afterwards. The pilot, who was on exchange from the US navy was killed on impact
Lt. Cmdr. Koplewski, the American pilot of the Wyvern, was making his first ever flight in a Wyvern (he took off from RNAS Ford), but decided to indulge in some mock dogfighting with two Gloster Meteors (WK983 and VX496 from No.1 Squadron at Tangmere) which he chanced upon. Below is part of the statement from the Board of Inquiry, given by one of the Meteor pilots involved.
"Flying Officer Legge was flying as my No. 2 in Halfpush Red Section of 2 aircraft. We had split up to do some cine gun exercises at 7,000 feet between two cloud layers. Flying Officer Legge was target aircraft flying at 200 knots and I was doing high quarter attacks alternately from starboard and port. After one attack I broke down and pulled up to starboard, and Flying Officer Legge reported an aircraft at 3 o'clock slightly high. This aircraft was a Wyvern, and it made an attack on Flying Officer Legge's aircraft as I was climbing away to position myself for my next attack. After the Wyvern's attack it broke port and climbed away. I made my attack and broke down and pulled up to port. The Wyvern made another attack from a greater altitude than previously as I was positioning myself again. This time Flying Officer Legge took evasive action by doing a steep turn to port. I remained at 2,000 feet above, I estimate, and watched. The two aircraft continued to turn, diametrically opposed to each other on their turning circle. Flying Officer Legge asked me to come in and help, and he himself broke away by rolling and turning in the other direction as I came in behind the Wyvern. I found myself unable to do anything against the Wyvern, and I myself pulled up and away. Flying Officer Legge reported the Wyvern was leaving us and I turned my aircraft and saw the Wyvern descending into cloud about 4,000 feet below me, under quite normal control, and in no way showing any sign of being in difficulty. Its dive was about 20°. I then called Flying Officer Legge in and returned to base at about 8,000 feet. The only feature I saw to identify this Wyvern was the number 181 on the rear fuselage in front of the airframe serial number which I could not read".
Part of the statement from the other Meteor pilot involved.. it's worth noting the reference to a "wingover", as that became an important clue when the cause of the crash was being investigated. I will post more on that later.
"I was acting as target for Flying Officer Nuthall, flying at 7,000 feet, 200 knots. He was making high quarter attacks. As he broke away from an attack from port, he broke away to starboard, and I told him there was an aircraft approaching 3 o'clock slightly high. This aircraft, the Wyvern, made an attack on me and climbed away to port. Flying Officer Nuthall then made one more attack and while positioning himself the Wyvern made another semi-high quarter attack from the port. I broke into him and after one or two turns, saw I was attaining nothing by just turning round, and so asked Flying Officer Nuthall to see if he could get him off my tail. I broke away to starboard and climbed up. In turning round I saw the Wyvern follow up into a "Wingover" and descend into cloud at about a 20° dive, I then returned to base."
The reported crash location of Langrish is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Stroud. It is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) west of Petersfield, on the A272 road.
Sources:
1. Hampshire Telegraph - Wednesday 23 December 1953
2. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=7533.0
3. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VZ
4. http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2017/10/21/the-westland-wyvern-a-mighty-monster/
5. http://www.ukserials.com/prodlists.php?type=1193
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langrish
7. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Feb-2020 01:36 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 13-Feb-2020 08:14 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 18-Feb-2020 18:24 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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