Date:	Thursday 4 March 1954
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	229 OCU RAF
Registration:	VV677
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bristol Channel,1.5 miles NW of Ilfracombe, Devon -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 VV677: delivered 20/04/1949. RAF Service was with 226 OCU RAF Stradishall and 229 OCU RAF Chivenor

Written off (destroyed) 4/3/54: crashed into the Bristol Channel,1.5 miles North West of Ilfracombe, Devon. The aircraft was engaged in an air to air gunnery firing sortie over the Bristol Channel when it dived into the sea, killing the pilot. It is believed that the pilot lost control of the aircraft while turning to gain a more advantageous position to execute his firing run against the target, which itself was turning at the same time.

Crew of Vampire VV677
Pilot Officer Peter Reginald CHILTON RAF (Service Number 1920623, pilot, aged 23) - killed

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.155 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 92)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.36
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
6. https://www.key.aero/comment/1327041#comment-1327041

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Apr-2020 17:59	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Apr-2020 09:36	INV	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator]
07-Apr-2020 15:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Apr-2020 15:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]