Date:	Tuesday 6 October 1953
Time:	day
Type:	North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B
Owner/operator:	22 FTS RAF
Registration:	FX279
MSN:	14A-1582
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	HMS Vulture /RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	HMS Vulture /RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Noorduyn AT-16-ND Harvard ex-USAAF 43-34696 (MSN 14A-1582): Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FX279. To No 9 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, Errol, Perthshire, Scotland, November 1944. To No 5 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, Ternhill, Shropshire June 1945. To No 22 Service Flying Training School, Calveley, Cheshire, December 1945 coded "FCI-O" To No 22 Flying Training School, Syerston, Nottinghamshire, February 1949 coded "R-G"

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6 October 1953 in a take off accident at HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall. The aircraft was being flown by a crew of two - an RAF Instructor Pilot and a Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm) Student Pilot under Instruction.

The purpose of the sortie was to test the Student PIlot's IFR (Instrument Flight Rating) capabilities. For this, the Student Pilot sat in the rear cockpit, with an "IFR Hood" blocking out the external view. The pilot was to fly strictly on Instruments, and not use VFR (Visual Flight Rules) by looking out of the cockpit.

During the take off run from RNAS St. Merryn, the aircraft began to swing to starboard, and the Instructor Pilot tried to take control to correct the swing. However, at the crititcal moment, the intercom between the two crew failed, leaving the student pilot unaware of the the Instructor was doing (and vice-versa).

The Instructor Pilot then closed the throttle to check the swing to starboard, but, instead, the Harvard ground-looped through 180 degrees. The port undercarriage oleo leg collapsed, causing additional damage to the port wing tip and aileron.

Although the aircraft was written off (deemed "damaged beyond economic repair"), the two crew appear to have survived uninjured. Formally Struck Off Charge 6 October 1953 (same day) at RNAS St. Merryn as Cat.5(c) and authorised to be reduced to scrap and spare parts. Reported derelict at Skylines (Aircraft Components), Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey as late as 1965.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.150 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 419
3. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p 106)
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-May-2021 19:56	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-May-2021 19:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-May-2021 22:06	Vicktor	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator]
19-May-2021 15:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]