Date:	Monday 20 April 1953
Time:	night
Type:	Fairey Firefly T Mk 3
Owner/operator:	796 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	PP649
MSN:	F.6308
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bristol Channel, off Hartland Point, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	HMS Vulture, RNAS St.Merryn, Cornwall
Destination airport:	HMS Vulture, RNAS St.Merryn, Cornwall
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Firefly T.Mk.3 PP649: "209/MF" of 796 Squadron FAA RN, HMS Vulture, RNAS St.Merryn, Cornwall. Written off (destroyed) 20/4/1953: Crashed into the Bristol Channel, due to engine failure, off Hartland Point, Devon (at a bearing of 220 degrees). Aircraft was engaged in a low level night NAVEX (Navigation Exercise), possibly from RNAS St. Merryn to RAF Chivenor and back to St. Merryn. Crew attempted to bail out at low level, but were not successful. Both crew presumed killed, as they were never found

Crew of Firefly T.3 PP649:
Lieutenant David Roger Price-Owen DSC RN (Pilot, Service Number 404557, aged 30) - killed on active service 20/4/1953
Midshipman David Baxter Enever RN (Observer, aged 20)- killed on active service 20/4/1953

Firefly PP649 Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ 20/4/1953. Total flying time on airframe: 435.55 hours

1. Fleet Air Arm /fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant. Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain 2004 p. 254)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) - Aircraft Accidents: Firefly T3 PP649 on 20.4.1953: File ADM 1/24558 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4845671
3. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1953.htm
4. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fairey_firefly_T3.html
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartland_Point
6. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/price-owen-david-roger.83183/
7. http://www.ennever.com/getperson.php?personID=I15714&tree=Ennever1
8. Death notice of Observer, The Times 25/4/1953: http://www.ennever.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=29887&medialinkID=1822937

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Sep-2020 21:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-Sep-2020 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
07-Sep-2020 09:35	Glog	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]
11-Sep-2021 14:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Category]