Date:	Friday 17 June 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	5 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TB998
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Ferryside, St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Pembrey, Pembrey. Carmarthenshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
TB998: Spitfire LF XVI. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to 19 MU RAF St. Athan, South Glamorgan 2-3-45. To 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, RAF Turnhouse, East Lothian 27-3-45. To 1362 Flight 16-8-45. Sustained Cat. C accident 18-4-46. Repaired and returned to service with 595 Squadron, RAF Pembrey, Carmarthenshire 7-7-48. To 5 Squadron, RAF Pembrey, Carmarthenshire 11-2-49 when squadron renumbered.

Written off (destroyed) when dived into ground after inverting near Ferryside, St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales 17-6-49; pilot killed. The pilot was being prepared for homing and aerobatics training, the authorised lower altitude limit for this flying training being 6,000 feet. At 4,500 feet in poor visibility, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, and spiralled into the ground inverted. It is thought that the pilot did not allow himself enough time to re-orientate himself, after completing aerobatics while flying during hazy weather

Not repaired; Struck off charge as Cat. E scrap 15-11-49

Crew of Spitfire TB998:
F/O (202009) Arthur Henry HILL (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 17-6-1949

On 11-2-49, 5 Squadron reformed at RAF Pembrey in Wales for target-towing duties when No. 595 Squadron was renumbered; however, the squadron was disbanded on 25-9-51

Ferryside (Welsh: Glan-y-fferi) is a village in the community of St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of Carmarthen near the mouth of the river Tywi.

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. 5 Squadron ORB 1-2-1949 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2389/2: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8418933
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p109.html
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TB998
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90662-tb998
8. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205259103
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembrey_Sands_Air_Weapons_Range#Post-war
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._603_Squadron_RAF#Post_war
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._595_Squadron_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._5_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferryside

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Mar-2023 20:19	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Aug-2023 21:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated