Date:	Wednesday 13 July 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 4
Owner/operator:	222 (Natal) Sqn RAF
Registration:	RA481
MSN:	ZD-V
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Thorney Island, Emsworth, Hampshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.4 RA481: Delivered to 222 (Natal) Squadron 22.12.47. To 66 Squadron 8.5.48 coded Hl-E. Returned to 222 (Natal) Squadron 26.6.48 coded ZD-T, later ZD-V.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when stalled on approach, undershot and undercarriage torn off, Thorney Island, 13.7.49 (Pilot III J E Cullum OK); the pilot, who had recently joined 222 Squadron, had a total of only five hours on flying the Meteor, but was rated as 'above average' by his OTU. The pilot was returning for a sector recce. but undershot on approach, and the undercarriage was ripped off.

The Subsequent Board of Inquiry commented that the poor level of training given to this pilot, and indicated that he should have been allowed more training flying on the Meteor before being posted to a front-line squadron.

Damage initially assessed as Cat B; re-cat E 9.9.49, Struck off charge and broken up

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.563
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft RA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf p.130
5. 222 Squadron ORB for the period 11-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2745: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505113
6. https://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._222_Squadron_RAF#Entering_the_jet_age
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._66_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Thorney_Island#Post-war_units

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