Date:	Thursday 27 May 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Auster AOP Mk 6
Owner/operator:	Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE
Registration:	VF518
MSN:	2287
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Boscombe Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Boscombe Down, Wiltshire (EGDM)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Auster AOP.6 VF518: Delivered 24-10-1946 to A&AEE Boscombe Down. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 27-5-1948 when crashed on take-off from Boscombe Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire

During the take-off run from a grass airstrip at Boscombe Down, the pilot, a very senior engineering officer, with little current experience of flying the Auster AOP.6, mishandled the controls. The Auster then ran into a depression in the grass airstrip, and overturned.

Auster VF518 was sent to Auster Aircraft at Rearsby, Leicestershire for repairs in June 1948. However, the damage was assessed as "beyond economic repair" and VF518 was Struck off charge as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) on 10-8-1948.

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
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VF
5. A&AEE Boscombe Down ORB 1-1-48 to 31-1-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1216: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100926
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoD_Boscombe_Down#Cold_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Apr-2023 20:43	Dr. John Smith	Added
21-May-2023 08:22	Nepa	Updated