Date:	Thursday 20 October 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	226 OCU RAF
Registration:	TE378
MSN:	CBAF.11479
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Stradishall, near Haverhill, Suffolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Stradishall, near Haverhill, Suffolk
Destination airport:	RAF Stradishall, near Haverhill, Suffolk

Narrative:
Spitfire LF. XVIe TE378, MSN CBAF.11479: Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 9 MU Cosford, Shropshire 14-6-45. Issued to 203 AFS 3-3-48. To 226 OCU, RAF Stradishall, near Haverhill, Suffolk 1-9-1949.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 20-10-49 in a wheels-up landing at RAF Stradishall, near Haverhill, Suffolk. The pilot attempted to land at Stradishall on a short runway, in strong crosswinds and gusty conditions. Although the approach seemed normal, the Spitfire was hit by a sudden down-draught, and landed heavily, despite the prompt application of more engine power to counteract the down-draught. Both tyres burst and damage to the undercarriage was sustained.

The pilot overshot the landing, but when it proved impossible to lower the undercarriage properly (due the aforementioned damage). As a result, a wheels-up landing was made on the grass alongside the runway.

Damage sustained as "beyond repair", and Spitfire TE378 was re-cat as Cat. E(scrap) 8-11-49 and struck off charge

RAF Stradishall is a former Royal Air Force station located 7 miles (11 km) north east of Haverhill, Suffolk and 9 miles (14 km) south west of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.

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.544
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 226 OCU RAF ORB for the period 1-8-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1632: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101342
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p112.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._226_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF#Operational_history
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90855-te378
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TE378
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TE378
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Stradishall

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