Date:	Monday 2 September 1946
Time:
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	131 (Polish Fighter) Wing /2nd TAF RAF
Registration:	TE466
MSN:	CBAF IX.4600
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) B-78 Eindhoven -   Netherlands
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	ALG-78 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Narrative:
TE466: Spitfire LF.XVI, MSN CBAF IX.4600. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine, To 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 30-6-45. To 131 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing, 84 Group, 2nd TAF, RAF later in 1945

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 2-9-46 when undercarriage collapsed landing at ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) B-78 Eindhoven Netherlands. While in the circuit to landing at Eindhoven, the three green undercarriage lights were flickering on and off, leaving the pilot uncertain if the undercarriage was properly "down and locked". He therefore performed a 'low and slow' flypast the ATC (Air Traffic Control) tower, requesting that ATC perform a visual check to confirm the status of the undercarriage. ATC replied that the undercarriage appeared to be fully lowered, so the pilot did not use any manual system to lock the undercarriage in the lowered position. As a result, the undercarriage of Spitfire TE466 immediately collapsed on touchdown, and the aircraft belly landed, causing severe damage to the underside of the airframe as it skidded along the runway before coming to a halt.

Damage initially assessed as Cat. B (Repairable) 2-9-46, but re-cat E(FA) 11-2-47 and struck off charge

No. 131 (Polish) (Fighter) Wing RAF was a Royal Air Force wing that was operational during the Second World War, mainly staffed by Polish personnel as part of the Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain.

No. 131 Wing was formed on 12-5-44 within No. 18 Sector RAF, No. 84 Group RAF, RAF Second Tactical Air Force at RAF Chailey. It moved to RAF Appledram on 28-6-44, then to RAF Ford and it crossed the channel to France on 22-7-44 going to B.12 Caen/Ellon. It then used B.10 Plumelot, B.131 Londinieres, B.51 Lille-Vendeville, B.70 Antwerp/Deurne, B.61 Ghent/St Denis Westrem, B.60 Grimbergen, B.77 Glize-Rijen, B. 101 Nordhorn, B.113 Varrelbusch and B.111 Ahlhorn. It moved back to England and RAF Hethel where it was disbanded on 2-1-47

Eindhoven airfield was captured by American paratroopers during Operation "Market Garden" (17 to 24-9-44). Damage to the airfield was repaired and the airfield was re-used as an Advanced Landing Ground by both US and British forces under the designation ALG B-78.

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.209
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p.49)
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p112.html
5. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TE466
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90915-te466
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TE466
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._131_Wing_RAF
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eindhoven_Airport#Early_years

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Jun-2023 08:05	Nepa	Updated
14-Sep-2023 10:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated