ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 107490
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| Date: | Saturday 27 November 1943 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Lockheed P-38 Lightning |
| Owner/operator: | 535rd TEFT Sqn USAAF |
| Registration: | AF138 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1 mile South of Mesa, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Williams Field AAF, Chandler, Arizona |
The Lockheed P-322 Lightning was a designation given to P-38s taken over from a British order cancelled in 1942.This order had been inherited from the French, and had been for a simplified version of the aircraft, without the turbo-superchargers used by all USAAF P-38s.
Before receiving its first Lightnings, the RAF had changed its order to include 146 Lightning Mk Is, as ordered by the French, and 524 Mk IIs, which would have closely resembled the P-38E. The USAAF took over the British order, and completed the 524 Mk IIs as standard P-38Fs and P-38Gs.
The earlier aircraft was also taken over. Twenty two were completed as ordered, and given the designation P-322-I. The remaining 121 were given “F” series engines, as used in American P-38s, although they still lacked the turbo-supercharger. These aircraft were given the designation P-322-II. In American service these aircraft were used as advanced trainers, providing an ideal way to introduce new pilots to the P-38 without the added complexity of the turbo-supercharger for them to worry about.
AF138 was the original UK (Royal Air Force) serial for the particular aircraft, which was taken over by the USAAF. It was never assigned a USAAF serial. Assigned to the 535 TEFT (Test & Fighter Evaluation Training) Sqaudron, USAAF.
AF138 was written off (destroyed) on November 27, 1943 when it stalled and got into an unrecoverable spin one mile south of Mesa, Arizona, shortly after taking off from Williams Field AAF base at Chandler, Arizona. The pilot John Thomas Fletcher was killed. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Troy Record" November 30, 1943 Troy, New York):
"John Fletcher Former Trojan Plane Victim
Captain John Thomas Fletcher (27) Army Air Corps, son of Thomas J Fletcher a former Trojan now residing in South Pasadena California was instantly killed yesterday in a plane accident. Word of the death was received last night by the flyer's uncle, former Major William A Fletcher of this city. No details were given. Captain Fletcher was formerly an instructor at West Point. Both he and his father were Troy residents until about twenty years ago and both have visited in this city several times in recent years. The funeral will be held tomorrow in South Pasadena."
Airframe surveyed November 30, 1943 and written off charge as "beyond repair"
Sources:
1. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Nov1943S.htm
2. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_P-322.html
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87405936/john-thomas-fletcher
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p38_7.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2018 16:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Source] |
| 18-Jul-2018 16:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Oct-2018 16:07 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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