This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can
submit corrected information.
Date: | Thursday 27 May 1954 |
Time: | day |
Type: | de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 |
Owner/operator: | 5 RFS RAF |
Registration: | WP779 |
MSN: | C1/0669 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
Nature: | Test |
Departure airport: | RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire |
Destination airport: | RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WP779: delivered 19/6/1952, RAF service was with 17 RFS (Reserve Flying School) and 5 RFS.
Written off 27/5/54: During a post-overhaul air test, the aircraft made a slow roll over the airfield at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, Warwickshire, but struck the ground due to the pilot starting the roll at too slow an airspeed and too low altitude. Both crew were killed. According to an eyewitness report (see link #6):
"...the Chipmunk that crashed did not crash on the concrete but crashed on the middle of the airfield on grass. I know because I was part of the crash crew. I have photos to prove it: the two crew that perished were an airforce officer and a friend of mine. We both worked for the same company that serviced the aircraft for the airforce they were air testing the aircraft at the time. The aircraft was WP779..."
Crew :
F/Lt (182538) Jack Netherwood DFC (Instructor Pilot) RAF - killed
Mr. Douglas S. Jones (Airframe Mechanic/Civilian passenger on an "air experience flight") - killed
Flight Lieutenant Jack Netherwood won his DFC on bomber ops with 106 Squadron, and was Chief Flying Instructor to the University of Birmingham Air Squadron. Less than a month later - on 20/6/54 - 5 RFS disbanded at Castle Bromwich.
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.158 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 83)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.58
4.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WP 5.
https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=103172 6.
https://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=252.143 7.
http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/nwcrashes1945-52.htm Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
10-Apr-2020 21:39 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
10-Apr-2020 21:41 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source] |
10-Apr-2020 21:52 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |
10-Apr-2020 21:54 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Nature, Narrative] |
11-Apr-2020 08:48 |
INV |
Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator] |
12-Apr-2020 00:01 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
04-May-2021 18:47 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
05-May-2021 08:19 |
INV |
Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator] |