Date:	Monday 8 March 1954
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Firefly T Mk 2
Owner/operator:	744 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	MB566
MSN:	F.7521
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Lough Foyle, near HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland
Destination airport:	HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Firefly T.Mk.2 MB566, "233/GN" of 744 Squadron FAA RN, HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland. Written off (destroyed) 8/3/1954: Dived into Lough Foyle, near HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, due to engine failure on final approach to Eglinton. Both crew killed. According to an eyewitness report (see link #5):

"This incident occurred during 1953-4, whilst in the Royal Navy and stationed at HMS Sea Eagle in Derry. One day, shortly after leaving the dockside aboard an RN Air Sea Rescue Launch delivering mail to submarines awaiting exercises at the entry to Lough Foyle, a Firefly flew across Lough Foyle in a shallow dive to land at Eglinton, but instead, never straightened, and dived straight into the lough ahead of us, in full view of the launch commander, crew and myself. It had totally disappeared into the mud, leaving no trace bar a muddy patch of water. I was told not to talk about this, as it was (quite rightly), none of my business".

Crew of Firefly T.2 MB566:
Lieutenant Thomas A.Tallon RN (pilot) - killed on active service 8/3/1954
Acting Sub Lieutenant John E Braznor (Observer) - killed on active service 8/3/1954

Formally Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ 15/3/1954. Total flying time on airframe 563.20 hours. Note that some sources (e.g. link #3) have Firefly T.2 MB566 as being on the strength of 820 Squadron FAA RN at the time of its crash. Ofters (e.g. link #4) have Firefly T.2 MB566 as being on the strength of 737 Squadron FAA RN at the of its crash (the aircraft's record card confirms delivery to 737 squadron FAA RN at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton from July 1951)

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.238)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) - Aircraft Accidents: Firefly T2 MB 566 on 8.3.54 at RNAS Eglinton: File ADM 1/25323 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4846435
3. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1954.htm
4. http://historyhubulster.co.uk/faa-aircraft-accidents-in-ni/
5. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/512108-firefly-disappearance-53-54-a.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Sep-2020 19:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Sep-2020 20:01	Yarbi	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]