Date:	Thursday 24 February 1949
Time:	night
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/operator:	201 AFS RAF
Registration:	RP485
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Witham St. Hughs, 1 mile ESE of RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Vickers Wellington Mk. X RP485 of 201 AFS, RAF Swinderby: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 24 February 1949 at Witham St. Hughs, near RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire

The Wellington was approaching to land at RAF Swinderby at night with the starboard engine feathered (as part of the 'asymmetric landing training' syllabus). During the approach, the port engine (the sole remaining 'live' engine) failed, and an emergency landing was initiated. The Wellington came down to earth at Witham St. Hughs, one mile East-South-East of the runway at RAF Swinderby, and was severely damaged. All four crew on board survived, with injuries
Crew of Wellington RP485
F/Lt (150611) Alan James SHARMAN (pilot) RAF
P.IV R L LAMB (2nd Pilot) RAF
Cadet Navigator J NEILL (Nav.) RAF
Signaller IV HARRISON (WOp/AG) RAF

Witham St Hughs is a housing estate in the Parish of Thurlby in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated less than 0.54 miles (0.9 km) south from the A46 road, geographically 8 miles (13 km) south-west from the city and county town of Lincoln, and 7 miles (11 km) north-east from the town of Newark-on-Trent

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 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p 479
3. 201 AFS ORB for the period 1-4-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1989/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162797
4. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1949
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Swinderby#History
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witham_St_Hughs

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Apr-2023 17:55	Dr. John Smith	Added