Date:	Friday 30 December 1955
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor T Mk 7
Owner/operator:	FTU RAF
Registration:	VW449
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Benson, Oxfordshire (BEX/EGUB) England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Benson, Oxfordshire
Destination airport:	RAF Benson, Oxfordshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 VW449: Delivered 18/5/49. RAF service career was with 226 OCU, 203 AFS (Advanced Flying School), 101 FRS, 202 AFS, 231 OCU RAF Merryfield, BCCS (Bomber Command Communications Squadron), returned to 231 OCU RAF Merryfield, and lastly with the FTU (Ferry Training Unit) at RAF Benson.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 30/12/55: The aircraft suffered a hydraulic failure in flight, and this meant that the undercarriage was unable to be lowered. The pilot was therefore obliged to make a wheels up belly landing at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. The aircraft was deemed "damaged beyond economic repair" and struck off charge as Cat,5(c) early in January 1956. The two crew on board were uninjured.

Crew of Meteor VW449
Wing Commander G H Smith RAF (pilot)
Flight Sergeant J A Brigg RAF (passenger)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.176 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 95)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.171
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WA

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2020 16:20	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jun-2020 16:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Jun-2020 20:06	Digger	Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator]
17-Jul-2023 07:48	Nepa	Updated [[Operator, Nature, Operator]]