Date:	Saturday 18 May 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	1 SFTS RIAF
Registration:	MT728
MSN:	6S 479779
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Raja Bhoj Airport, Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Haryana, Brit. India
Destination airport:	Raja Bhoj Airport, Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, British India
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT728: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN 6S-479779. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Hampshire with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 14-7-44. To 222MU 23-7-44 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. Shipped on the ss 'Ocean Wanderer' 17-8-44, arriving India 28-9-44. To 273 Squadron, RAF at Cox’s Bazar from September–December 1944. During January 1945 the squadron operated out of the more inland Maunghnama.

To 67 Squadron, RAF in February 1945. 67 Squadron re-assembled at Alipore and formed part of the defence of Calcutta, converting to Spitfires in February 1944. The squadron disbanded officially on 23-8-45 at Akyab, but kept its aircraft till the end of the month (31-8-45). Spitfire MT728 was transferred to RIAF from September 1945, and issued to 1 SFTS RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Haryana, Brit. India

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 18-5-46 when aircraft belly-landed at Raja Bhoj Airport, Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The pilot used incorrect cockpit drill procedures on final approach to Bhopal, with the result that he forgot to lower the Spitfire's undercarriage. A 'wheels up' belly landing was made, which caused considerable damage to the aircraft's underside - and to the pilot's reputation!

Crew of Spitfire MT728
Pilot Officer (IND/3156) Ghulam Haider, RIAF - survived uninjured. Pilot transferred to the Pakistani Air Force after the partition of India in 1947, and resigned his commission on 21-9-50.

Aircraft not repaired; Struck Off Charge 30-5-46 as Cat. E(FA)

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.147
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89725-mt728
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT728
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT728
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT728
9. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3156
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._67_Squadron_RAF
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._273_Squadron_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Bhoj_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Jun-2023 17:04	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 11:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated