Date:	Sunday 8 May 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 21
Owner/operator:	600 (City of London) Sqn RAF
Registration:	LA330
MSN:	SMAF4449
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
Destination airport:	RAF Biggin Hill, Kent

Narrative:
LA330: Spitfire F.21, MSN SMAF4449. Built at Vickers-Armstrongs (Supermarine) at South Marston with Griffon G61 engine. Test flown by Flt Lt Loweth (Vickers-Armstrong South Marston) for 15 minutes on 13-11-45 (possibly first flight?). Delivered to 29MU RAF High Ercol, Shropshire by Flt Lt Major RAF 28-12-45. To 41 Squadron. RAF Dalcross, Inverness 19-9-46. To 600 (City of London) Squadron RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent, 23-1-47

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 8-5-49 when overshot landing at RAF Biggin Hill. The pilot was inexperienced in flying Spitfires, and used the same landing approach technique that he had learned while flying NA Harvards when landing at Biggin Hill in a strong crosswind. He therefore failed to use the flaps or perform a go-around when it became obvious that he was going to overshoot the runway at Biggin Hill. Which is exactly what happened: he overshot the runway, ran off the end of the runway, and the undercarriage collapsed during the runway excursion.

Aircraft not repaired; classified as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and struck off charge as scrap 23-9-49

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.497
3. 600 (City of London) Squadron ORB 1-9-1946 to 31-1-1957: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2502/3: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8423101
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p054.html
5. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/LA330
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79509-la330
7. https://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._41_Squadron_RAF#Post_War,_1946%E2%80%932006
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._600_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Biggin_Hill_Airport#Military_airfield

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Mar-2023 18:33	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Mar-2024 17:48	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]