Date:	Thursday 21 November 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	92 Sqn RAF
Registration:	JF353
MSN:	EA.4094
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Zeltweg Airfield, Zeltweg, Styria -   Austria
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Zeltweg Airfield, Zeltweg, Styria, Austria
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
JF353: Spitfire LF VIII, MSN EA.4094. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) with Merlin M63A engine. To 46MU 14-3-43. To 215MU RF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 7-4-43 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the 'R.687' 29-4-43, arriving Casablanca, Morocco 17-5-43. To Middle East Air Command 1-9-43, To North West Africa Air Command 1-11-43. To 241 Squadron in December 1943. The 241 Squadron Hurricanes were replaced with Spitfires in December 1943. The squadron operated various reconnaissance and ground attack duties in Italy until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded on 14-8-45.

To 92 Squadron (Mediterranean Allied Air Force) 21-6-45 in Austria. Following the cessation of hostilities, No. 92 Squadron moved to - and was disbanded at - Zeltweg in Austria on 30-12-46.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 21-11-46 when crashed on takeoff from Zeltweg Airfield, Zeltweg, Styria, Austria. The engine failed shortly after takeoff when the aircraft had only climbed to an altitude of 50 feet. The pilot made a 'straight ahead' forced landing, but Spitfire JF353 caught fire immediately after touchdown on the runway at Zeltweg. The Spitfire was destroyed by fire, but the pilot was rescued. and sustained only minor injuries (mostly burns).

Damage assessed as Cat E 21-11-46; not repaired Struck Off Charge 28-11-46

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.247
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft JA100-JZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 92 Sqn RAF ORB for November 1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/747/45: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8455638
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.104: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p112.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/JF353
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/101428-jf353
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=JF353
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._241_Squadron_RAF#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeltweg_Air_Base

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Sep-2023 16:21	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Sep-2023 16:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated
11-Sep-2023 20:15	Nepa	Updated