Date:	Wednesday 16 December 1953
Time:	14:05 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T Mk 55
Owner/operator:	De Havilland Aircraft
Registration:	Iraqi AF 334
MSN:	15344
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ty'n Rhyn Farm, near Nercwys, Flintshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Hawarden, Chester (EGNR)
Destination airport:	Hatfield Aerodrome, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (EGTH)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Crashed shortly after take off on delivery flight, Ty'n Rhyn Farm, near Nercwys, Flintshire 16-12-1953: Aircraft was a DH Vampire T.55 "334" of the Iraqi Air Force (Call sign "Tibet 35"). Civilian test pilot Michael Hills-Johns (the sole person on board) did not eject (ejector seats were not fitted), and was killed. The aircraft exploded in flames on impact, as the fuel tanks were full, preparatory to a long ferry flight (Chester-Hatfield-Baghdad)

Note that one of the official files on this incident at the National Archives at Kew (AVIA 5/32/S2669) spells the crash location as "Nerquis, Iraq" [sic]! "Nerquis" is the anglicised spelling of the Welsh place name "Nercwys", and is nowhere near "Iraq" (although that was the intended destination).

1. Final Descent: Air Crashes in Wales and the Borders By Terence Hill p.84-88
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/188: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424309
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2669: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578515
4. http://iraqimilitary.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nercwys
7. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh115.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-May-2009 12:58	XLerate	Added
09-Dec-2013 16:41	TB	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Damage, Narrative]
15-May-2017 16:03	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
06-Jan-2020 23:36	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
06-Jan-2020 23:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
07-Jan-2020 19:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source]
10-Jan-2020 22:15	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
07-Dec-2020 18:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]