Date:	Thursday 9 August 1951
Time:	09:00 LT
Type:	North American Harvard T Mk 2B
Owner/operator:	3 FTS RAF
Registration:	FS892
MSN:	14A-1032
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	St Mary's Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Feltwell, Thetford, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American Harvard T.2B FS892: Ex-USAAF 43-12731. Delivered to the RAF in July 1944. Subsequent RAF service was with EFCS (Empire Central Flying School) coded 'FCT-P' (July 1944 to May 1946). Empire Flying School (May 1946 to September 1949), RAF Flying College (September 1949 to October 1949) and finally with 3 FTS at RAF Feltwell from October 1949 as 'FBT-G'

Written off (destroyed) 9/8/51 when crashed into St. Mary's Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire. The aircraft broke cloud at very low level, but to avoid Ely Cathedral the aircraft stalled, clipped a roof on the South side of St Mary's Street and ended up across the road in Nice's car showroom (Morris agents). Pilot killed plus one person on the ground (a lorry driver). There was an extensive recall of the incident in the "Ely Standard" (issue dated 9 August 2019):

"Fascinating story of tragic Ely plane crash - and how hero pilot saved cathedral from being destroyed
It is 68 years to the day since a plane crashed in Ely where in an “act of heroism” the pilot diverted it to avoid destroying Ely Cathedral.

At around 9am on August 9 1951 a Harvard T.2 training aircraft hit a shop, blacksmith's and damaged various buildings on the south side of St Mary's Street. It is believed that the airman flying the failing aircraft, in an act of heroism, tried to avoid Ely Cathedral and nearby St Mary's Church which he was careering towards.

Ely Museum posted the fascinating story on their social media to mark the anniversary this morning. The 9th August 1951 is one etched in the memories of many Ely residents," their post read. After it crashed the aircraft hit a passing lorry, together they smashed into the garage and badly damaged the electricity showroom. The plane was on a practice mission from RAF Feltwell in Thetford, Norfolk."

A reporter from the Ely Standard Newspaper who was cycling to work at the time of the crash, reported in the paper that he saw the plane at a "90 degree angle sweeping towards the ground". The article read that a 'screech of tortured metal' was heard and that St Mary's Street "dissolved into a cloud of dust and petrol fumes". The fuselage of the plane could be seen lying in the middle of the showroom of the garage.

A car had also been overturned by the force of a wing of the plane striking it and the lorry, which had taken the brunt of the force from the fuselage. The cab of the lorry was completely torn away and it was found along with its driver, Mr W. Moffett, towards the back of the garage.

The museum post continued: "Two people lost their lives in this accident, with many more people injured, suffering from smoke inhalation and shock. Though many more gave thanks for their lucky escape, including those living in the flats above the garage, which the plane hit, all of whom miraculously escaped uninjured. Mr W Moffett, the lorry driver suffered such severe injuries he was unrecognisable and had to be identified by just his clothing and RAF Sgt. Lewis Ernest Banks was also killed in the accident. "The other airman on board the aircraft, though severely injured, did survive."

An employee at the Electricity Board Showroom described the event as "being over in a flash, it sounded like a bomb, just like the war again".

Fatalities:
Sergeant Lewis Ernest Banks, RAF (pilot)
Mr. W. Moffett (civilian lorry driver)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.154 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain 1988 p.104)
3. Last Take Off - A record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.165
4. Ely Standard 9 August 2019: https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/ely-plane-crash-that-destroyed-shops-in-1951-1-6208250
5. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/353169-ely-cambs-harvard-crash.html
6. https://www.facebook.com/174505238875/posts/10156961668218876/
7. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
8. Photo of wreckage (Electricity Showroom, St. Mary's Street, Ely): https://www.facebook.com/ElyMuseum/photos/pcb.10156961668218876/10156961667653876/?type=3&theater

It was #OnThisDay, the 9th August 1951 at around 9am, that St. Mary’s street witnessed a catastrophic aircraft crash, causing loss of life and damage to many buildings! Head over to our post here to read more about it: https://t.co/9VjucrwqnY #Ely pic.twitter.com/TX0bpUjk7F

— Ely Museum (@ElyMuseum) August 9, 2019

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Apr-2020 23:33	Dr. John Smith	Added
05-Apr-2020 09:19	Investig	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Embed code, Operator]
05-Apr-2020 23:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]