Date:	Thursday 22 July 1954
Time:	18:00 LT
Type:	Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator:	66 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XD707
MSN:	608
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Kinder Scout, Black Ashop Moor, near Glossop, Derbyshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Canadair CL-13 (F-86E) Sabre F.4: Diverted to RAF before RCAF serial 19708 marked, became XD707. As the aircraft was also funded by US Government MDAP (Military Development Aid Program) funds, the USAF serial 52-10178 was assigned, but there is no record it was ever marked on the airframe. First flight on 20 May 1953. Delivered to the RAF (taken on charge) 20 July 1953. Operated by No. 66 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse, coded "B".

Written off (destroyed) 22 July 1954: Four RAF Sabre jets from No 66 Squadron had taken part in “Exercise Dividend” practicing air defences against a simulated attack on Britain by Soviet nuclear bombers. It was a huge undertaking, the largest since the war and a total of 6 aircraft across the country were lost that day, two of them here on the northern flank of Kinder Scout in the Derbyshire Peak District.

Upon completion of the exercise the jet fighters were heading back to base at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Split into pairs, Flying Officer James Desmond Horne (Service Number 35090092, in Sabre XD707) led Flight Lieutenant Alan Green (in Sabre XD730) down through dense cloud at around 6pm.

The Sabres were seen tearing above the Kinder Reservoir, apparently unaware of the steeply rising plateau directly in front of them. It appears F/O Horne saw the slope at the last instant and pulled up sharp.

It is not known exactly what happened next, but the jets collided and tumbled out of control, down from the plateau edge and onto the moor below. Their bodies and the wrecked aircraft were discovered 3 days later by a hill walker.

A memorial to Flying Officer Horne had been erected at the crash site among some of the wreckage (which was scattered over a wide area) at co ordinates 53:24.5420 N, 1:53.5135 W. (see link #9). His body was recovered, and buried with full military honours at All Saints churchyard, Newton on Ouse, Yorkshire. YO30 2BL

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.161 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 19)
3. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1954.htm
4. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-sites-5/f-86-sabres-xd707-and-xd730-3/
5. https://peakwreckhunters.blogspot.com/2018/08/north-american-f-86-sabre-fmk-4s-xd707.html
6. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/peak-district/north-american-sabre-xd707-xd730-ashop-moor/
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XD
8. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19701_19750_detailed.htm
9. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2566650
10. http://www.wtdwhd.co.uk/Peak1.html
11. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html
12. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/james-desmond-horne.102883/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Dec-2013 16:41	TB	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Source, Damage, Narrative]
31-Jan-2020 21:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
31-Jan-2020 22:46	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
08-Oct-2023 12:33	Anon.	Updated [[Operator, Operator]]