Date:	Thursday 29 April 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F.4
Owner/operator:	RAE Farnborough
Registration:	VT108
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAE Farnborough, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAE Farnborough, Hampshire

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.4 VT108: Delivered to RAE Farnborough 24.2.48 for pressure cabin trials and evaluation of high lift at high Mach numbers.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when ran out of fuel on approach; stalled and crash-landed, Farnborough, 29.4.48. The aircraft was engaged on a test flying sortie from Farnborough, and had been airborne for 35 minutes. During the sortie, the aircraft developed fuel leaks, and the pilot attempted to make an immediate forced landing back at Farnborough

However, the port engine failed completely, before the Meteor reached base, and the starboard engine failed in the circuit at Farnborough. The unpowered aircraft then crashed on the edge of Farnborough airfield.

The Pilot - Squadron Leader (72013) Richard Wright Whittome, OBE, DFC, RAF - survived, and was only slightly injured. (He was killed on 14.9.48 in the crash of Spitfire NH236 (see separate entry))

Wreckage to 49 MU RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire 16.6.48 and struck off charge as Cat E

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 p389
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
5. RAE Farnborough ORB for the period 1-4-1948 to 28-2-1951: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1379: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101089
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf p.131
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Establishment
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnborough_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Apr-2023 20:36	Dr. John Smith	Added