Date:	Wednesday 29 July 1942
Time:	17:10
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	278 Sqn RAF
Registration:	AA360
MSN:	711
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF North Coates, 6 miles SE of Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I AA360, 278 Squadron, RAF North Coates. Written off (destroyed) 29 July 1942 when struck by Lockheed Hudson Mk.III AM694 of 59 Squadron. The Hudson was damaged while landing after an air test flight at RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire at 17:10 hrs on 29 July 1942. It collided with parked Defiant AA360 of D flight, 278 Squadron, after the pilot of the Hudson was unable to disengage the tail wheel lock in time to avoid the collision. Both aircraft caught fire, with Defiant AA360 being written off as "damaged beyond repair" after it was totally burnt out. No fatalities or injuries on board Defiant AA360 - the aircraft was "parked up" and unoccupied at the time.

The Hudson was repaired and returned to service; it was written off 29 November 1943 in a separate incident at Loushamore, County Antrim when with 5 OTU RAF (see separate entry)

278 Squadron formed at RAF Matlaske on 22 December 1941 equipped with the Lysander, Walrus and then the Anson. Defiants and Spitfires were then supplied for spotting downed aircrew. The area of operations of the squadron was the coast of East Anglia and North East England. Defiant AA360 was attached to D Flight of 278 Squadron, with the detachment based at North Coates.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft AA100-AZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain (2nd Edition) 2000 p.6)
2. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1942-incident-logs
3. 278 Squadron ORB for October 1941 to December 1943: National Airchvies (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1605:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2504247
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_Lincolnshire.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._278_Squadron_RAF
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_North_Coates#World_War_II

Date/time	Contributor	Updates