Date:	Saturday 26 June 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	613 (City of Manchester) Sqn RAF
Registration:	RM861
MSN:	6S 507117
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Ringway, Cheshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Ringway, Cheshire
Destination airport:	RAF Ringway, Cheshire

Narrative:
RM861: Spitfire XIV, MSN 6S 507117. Built at Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire with Griffon G65 engine. Delivered to 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 28-10-44. To 610 (County of Chester) Squadron ALG Y.32/Ophoven, Belgium 13-1-45. Moved 27-1-45 to ALG B.78/Eindhoven, Netherlands. Cat C accident 3-2-45. To ASTH (Airwork Service Training Hamble) at Hamble-le-Rice, Hampshire for repairs. To FLS CFE (Fighter Leaders School, Central Flying Establishment), RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire 26-9-46. To 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron, RAF Ringway, Cheshire 4-9-47

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on landing at RAF Ringway Cheshire 26-6-48; the pilot allowed the Spitfire to touch down on the tail wheel first, and then the starboard main wheel. As a result, the aircraft began to swing off the runway.

The pilot opened up the throttle, with the intention of overshooting, and the Spitfire became airborne once more, before stalling and striking the ground. The starboard wing was ripped off, and the Spitfire became inverted, skidding along the runway on its back for 25 yards. Despite this, the pilot survived with only minor injuries.

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.406
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 613 Squadron ORB for the period 12-6-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2520: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505158
5. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p096.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RM861
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/102000-rm861
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._610_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Fighter_Establishment
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._613_Squadron_RAF#Postwar_operations
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ringway#Post_war

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Apr-2023 16:47	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Aug-2023 20:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated