Date:	Thursday 26 February 1948
Time:	21:00
Type:	Bristol Beaufighter TT Mk X
Owner/operator:	1 FU RAF
Registration:	RD856
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Palermo–Boccadifalco Airport, Palermo, Sicily -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Bordeaux airfield, France
Destination airport:	RAF Luqa, Malta
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Beaufighter RD856: Took off at 12:40 hrs for Transit flight. 26/02/1948
Landed en-route at Palermo–Boccadifalco Airport, Palermo, Sicily. After take off from Palermo, the aircraft returned due to bad weather on the Palermo-Malta leg.
The aircraft had been airborne for six-and-a-half hours at the time, and tried to land at Boccadifalco, Palermo, but was unable to land due to there being no runway lights. Despite firing distress flares, the crew of Beaufighter RD856 recieved no assistance from the ground,
After being unable to land at Boccadifalco-Palermo, the aircraft circled the airfield, and then both crew abandoned the Beaufighter after it ran out of fuel. Both crew parachuted safely to the ground, but the Beaufighter was destroyed when it flew into a nearby hillside.
Crew: ???? Ok

1. Beaufighter production list
2. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain.
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.377
4. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-PZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
5. La Stampa 28 February 1948

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Feb-2020 09:33	TB	Added
09-Jun-2021 18:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Jun-2021 20:40	TB	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]