Date:	Wednesday 22 September 1948
Time:
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 4
Owner/operator:	263 Sqn RAF
Registration:	VT136
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Horsham St. Faith, Norwich, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.4 VT136: Delivered to 263 Squadron 7.4.48 at RAF Acklington, Amble, Northumberland

Written off (destroyed by fire) when engine caught fire while awaiting take-off, RAF Horsham St Faith, Norwich, Norfolk 22.9.48. The pilot lined the aircraft for take-off at the threshold of the runway at Horsham St. Faith. He then advanced the throttles to 11,000rpm, when there was a loud bang and the starboard engine burst into flames. Although the pilot operated the on-board fire extinguishers, they had little effect, so he climbed out of the stationary Meteor, and withdrew to a safe distance to let the resident fire crews to deal with the blaze.
Crew of Meteor VT136:
F/Lt (161069) John Charles COLLO (pilot) RAF - bailed out survived OK

Damage originally assessed as Cat B; re-cat E 22.12.48 and Struck off Charge

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.433
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf p.172
5. 263 Squadron ORB 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2488: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505126
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=vt
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._263_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Horsham_St_Faith#Postwar_Royal_Air_Force_use

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Apr-2023 19:53	Dr. John Smith	Added