Date:	Monday 4 February 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE)
Registration:	RF288
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAE Farnborough, Hampshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III RF288, RAE Farnborough: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 4-2-46 in a taxiing accident at Farnborough, Hampshire. The aircraft was being taxied to its hardstanding at Farnborough which was approached across a steeply sloping and slippery (due to recent heavy rain) strip of grass. Lancaster RF288 started to skid, and, despite attempts by the pilot to correct the skid, and halt the slide, the strong wind made the situation worse, 'pushing' Lancaster RF288 into parked Lancaster RF268, and the two collided at low speed.

According to the Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78), the history of Lancaster RF288 was as follows...

20-04-45: Delivered to the RAF at 38 MU RAF Llandow and taken on charge
23-04-45. Transferred to charge of CRD MoS (Controller, Research & Development, Ministry of Supply) and delivered to RAE Farmborough
04-02-46: While taxying at Farnborough, Hampshire, Lancaster B. Mk. III RF288 struck another Lancaster (RF268, also of RAE Farnborough) when the latter was 'parked up' static at the hardstanding. (See also Lancaster RF268). Damage initially assessed as Cat. B (repairable). However, later, Both Lancasters were written off (deemed "damaged beyond repair"). Although the damage to both aircraft was relatively minimal, and probably repairable under different circumstances, in 1946, there were a considerable surplus of Lancasters available. It is believed that there were no casualties or injuries involving either aircraft; Lancaster RF288 was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
31-08-46: Lancaster RF288 was Struck Off Charge as Cat. E (G/I) and allocated to RAF St. Eval as a Ground Instructional Airframe 6086M
09-09-46: Ground Instructional Airframe Status Cancelled.
08-01-47: As 6086M, transferred to 1 MPRD (Metal Produce Recovery Depot), Cowley, Oxfordshire as Cat. E, and broken up for scrap.
31-01-47: CS(A) MoS Farnborough notified that Lancaster RF288/6086M had been officially scrapped

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.29 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.59
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/RF209-RF294/mobile/index.html
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.95: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnborough_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Jun-2021 19:48	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Jun-2021 22:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Jun-2021 19:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
15-May-2023 10:06	Nepa	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]
18-Jul-2023 00:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Source, Narrative]]]