Date:	Sunday 27 November 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVI
Owner/operator:	604 (County of Middlesex) Sqn RAF
Registration:	TE275
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Chigwell, Essex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hendon, Middlesex
Destination airport:	RAF Hendon, Middlesex

Narrative:
TE275: Spitfire LFXVI, Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 9 MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 18-5-45. Issued to 287 Squadron, RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex 24-8-45, Moved with 287 Squadron to RAF West Malling, Kent 10-9-45. Withdrawn from use and stored from 15-6-46 when 287 Squadron disbanded.

Next issued to 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron, RAF Hendon, Middlesex as 'NG-W' from 5-11-47

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed in a force-landing near Chigwell, Essex 27-11-49. The aircraft's radio failed, and the pilot found himself within sight of an airfield (RAF Chigwell?). However, instead of landing at this airfield, the pilot attempted to return to base (RAF Hendon), with very little fuel remaining, and the weather deteriorating. Eventually, having run out of fuel, the Spitfire made a forced landing in a field at Chigwell, Essex

Damage initially assessed as Cat.4(R); repairs on site begun but airframe re-cat E and Struck off charge as scrap (Cat.5(s)) 29-12-49

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.558
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p111.html
5. 604 Squadron ORB for the period 1/6/1946 to 31/12/1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2508: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505146
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._287_Squadron_RAF
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._604_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chigwell#RAF_Chigwell

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