Date:	Tuesday 19 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
Owner/operator:	9 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	NH846
MSN:	6S 648316
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Gurgaon, Haryana, 19 miles SW of New Delhi -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Destination airport:	RIAF Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
NH846: Spitfire FR.XIV, built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Hampshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 23-4-45. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 17-5-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the SS 'Samsturdy' 2-7-45, arriving India 28-7-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 9-8-45. To 9 Squadron RIAF by 1-12-45.

Written off (destroyed by fire) 19-3-46 in a wheels-up landing at RIAF Gurgaon, Haryana, 19 miles SW of New Delhi, India. The main cause of the incident was simply pilot error - in that the pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage on final approach, thus wrecking the aircraft in a 'wheels up' belly landing. The impact burst open the Spitfire's drop tank, which leaked; sparks from the aircraft sliding along the ground caused the fuel to ignite, and Spitfire NH846 caught fire and burnt out.

A number of RIAF Spitfires were wrecked in 1946-47 due to the pilot simply forgetting to lower the undercarriage on final approach. It is not clear if the reason was down to faulty cockpit drill procedures, a lapse of concentration by the pilot, poor flying training, or (possibly) a combination of all three of these factors

Crew of Spitfire NH846:
P/O (IND/3081) Prosoo Kumar Ghosh (pilot) RIAF survived with burn injuries. The injuries may have been serious, as the pilot resigned his commission on 10-10-46 (just over six months later), although he was not formally released on medical grounds until 21-3-47 (presumably after recovery from his injuries)

Aircraft not repaired; Struck Off Charge 28-3-46 as Cat. E(FA)

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.30 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.351
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 9 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-5-1945 to 30-6-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/139/25: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407802
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.96: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p080.html
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=NH846
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80040-nh846
9. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/NH846
10. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3081
11. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/NH846
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._9_Squadron_IAF
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurgaon#Transport
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safdarjung_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jul-2023 14:34	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jul-2023 17:34	Nepa	Updated
17-Sep-2023 15:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated