Date:	Friday 25 October 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	8 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	MV374
MSN:	6S 585096
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Kolar Airstrip, Yalavara, Karnataka -   India
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Kolar Airstrip, Yalavara, Karnataka, India
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MV374: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S 585096. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Aldermaston, with Griffon G65 engine. First Flown at Aldermaston 4-2-45. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 16-2-45. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 27-8-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Deebank' 6-9-45, arriving India 14-10-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) by 31-10-45. To 8 Squadron RIAF by/on 1-12-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 25-10-46 when swung on takeoff from RIAF Kolar Airstrip, Yalavara, Karnataka. India. The Spitfire swung off the runway at RIAF Kolar during the take-off run, and left the runway. The pilot believed that there was an immediate danger of the Spitfire colliding with a row of parked aircraft, and therefore retracted the undercarriage to affect an immediate emergency stop. Thus, of course, caused severe damage to the airframe as it slid along the ground at speed until it came to a halt. The pilot appears to have been uninjured.

Crew of Spitfire MV374
Pilot Officer (IND/3200) Pandurang Balkrishna Bhandarkar, RIAF (pilot) - survived uninjured.

The incident may have had an adverse effect on the pilot's career with the RIAF. He was withdrawn from flying duties on 20-2-47, and discharged from the service on 9-8-47 after relinquishing his commission

Damage assessed as Cat. E. Not repaired: Struck Off Charge 24-4-47 as Cat. E(G/I) and became ground instructional airframe 349 with the RIAF.

Kolar or Kolara is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar district. Kolar is located at 13.13°N, 78.13°E with an average elevation of 849 metres (2,785 ft).

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.238
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 8 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-12-1942 to 30-4-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/123: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2502755
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.103: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MV374
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79944-mv374
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MV374
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MV374
9. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3200
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolar

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Sep-2023 13:27	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Sep-2023 17:13	Nepa	Updated