Date:	Friday 5 July 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Vultee Vengeance Mk IV
Owner/operator:	1353 (T.T.) Flt RAF
Registration:	FD185
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Sealand, North Shotwick, near Queensferry, Flintshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Turnhouse, East Lothian
Destination airport:	RAF Sealand, Flintshire

Narrative:
Ex-USAAF Vultee A-35B-VN Vengeance 41-31374: to RAF as Vengeance IV FD185. Operated from July 1945 to July 1946 by 1353 (Target Towing) Flight RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, East Lothian. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 5 July 1946 in a landing accident at RAF Sealand, North Shotwick, near Queensferry, Flintshire.

Due to a servicing error, the port undercarriage would not lock down when lowered, and it resisted all efforts by the pilot to secure the port undercarriage leg as "down and locked". Therefore, the pilot retracted the undercarriage, and made a 'wheels up' belly landing at RAF Sealand.

Although the aircraft was written off as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E), and therefore "beyond economic repair", the pilot was unhurt. Vengeance FD185 was not repaired, and was Struck Off Charge on 8 January, 1947

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.45. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft FA100-FZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1989)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.176
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.101: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. 1353 Flight, West Freugh and Turnhouse ORB (Operations Record Book) for the period July 1945 to May 1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/865/13 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161879
6. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_5.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_aircraft_independent_flights#Numbered_flights_RAF_1940_on
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoD_Sealand

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Aug-2021 14:24	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Aug-2021 20:01	BlBe	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]
15-Jun-2023 21:21	Nepa	Updated [[Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]]
19-Jun-2023 18:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]]]