Date:	Thursday 6 March 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	1 SFTS RIAF
Registration:	MT725
MSN:	6S 479776
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Destination airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT725: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN 6S-479776. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 9-12-44. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 9-1-45 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. To 1 PATP then Shipped on the ss 'Mahadevi' 22-1-45, arriving India 19-2-45. To 9 Squadron RIAF in March 1945. Involved in a minor accident on 18-5-45 when with 9 Squadron RIAF when it got lost on local flying practice, and made a wheels-up forced landing. Pilot was Pilot Officer J Seleski.

Repaired and issued to 1SFTS AFS RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India in early 1946.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6-3-47 when undercarriage collapsed in a heavy landing at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. During a flapless landing at RIAF Ambala, the Spitfire stalled, and landed heavily, causing serious damage to the propeller, undercarriage, mainplanes and fuselage. The pilot, however, appears to have survived with only minor injuries.

Crew of Spitfire MT725:
Pilot Officer (IND/3323) Amit Singh Bakhshi RIAF (pilot) - survived with minor injuries

The pilot later rose through the ranks to become a Squadron Leader and Commanding Officer of 16 Squadron IAF from 11-5-57. He retired from the Indian Air Force on 1-12-66 to become a civilian pilot with Air India

Aircraft not repaired; Struck Off Charge 27-3-47 as Cat. E2(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 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No. 2 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
5. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89722-mt725
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT725
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT725
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT725
9. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3323
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Sep-2023 19:09	Dr. John Smith	Added
05-Sep-2023 08:40	Nepa	Updated