ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 247947
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| Date: | Thursday 20 December 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Gloster Meteor F Mk 4 |
| Owner/operator: | 203 AFS RAF |
| Registration: | VW304 |
| MSN: | G5/237 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Driffield, East Yorkshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4 VW304/"FMK-Z" of 203 AFS (Advanced Flying School), RAF: delivered 1/3/1949. Written off (destroyed) 20/12/1951. On completion of a formation flying sortie over East Yorkshire, two Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4s of 203 AFS (RA426 and VW304) were instructed to break formation, and set themselves up for a final approach for landing at RAF Driffield.
Meteor RA426 was the number one aircraft of the two-aircraft formation (Meteor VW304 was the number two). However, when making a steep turn to set up for final approach, Meteor RA426 (no.1) collided at low level with Meteor VW304 (No.2). The pilot of Meteor RA426 then turned away, climbed to a safe altitude, and baled out successfully over Carnaby, East Yorkshire. The pilot of Meteor VW304 attempted an emergency landing at RAF Driffield. However, the aircraft approached RAF Driffield at too high an airspeed, and the aircraft bounced on landing and overturned. The pilot was killed
Crew of Meteor VW304:
Pilot Officer Alan Smith (pilot) RAF - killed
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.123 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 206
3. 203 AFS ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 31/5/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/2145/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162858
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VW
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Feb-2021 22:23 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 18-Feb-2021 08:48 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative, Operator] |
| 18-Feb-2021 08:48 | King T. | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
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