Date:	Wednesday 15 February 1950
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.108 Swallow
Owner/operator:	RAE Farnborough
Registration:	VW120
MSN:	03
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Little Brickhill, near Bletchley, Buckinghamshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Farnborough, Hampshire (EGLF)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.108 Swallow: Third (or three) experimental research and development aircraft. Crashed and destroyed 15/2/1950 on a test flight at Birkhill, near Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. Purpose of flight was to observe longitudinal stability and aeroelasticity at high Mach numbers at 38,000ft. The aircraft broke up during a steep dive from 27,000 feet.Accident investigation pointed to a faulty oxygen system that incapacitated the pilot, Squadron-Leader J.S.R. Muller-Rowland, the Officer Commanding of the Royal Aircraft Establishment

The test flight was supposed to examine the effects of change from sub-sonic to transonic flight, but the aircraft is thought to have broken up whilst in a dive. The inquest into Muller-Rowland's death was opened two days later by North Bucks Coroner Mr E T Ray at Bletchley. Witnesses told of hearing an explosion. (Note: it is not clear if this "explosion" was the cause of the aircraft breaking up or a sonic boom.)

Some of the wreckage came down at Little Brickhill, the cockpit came down somewhere near Bow Brickhill church. Other pieces were found as far away as Husborne Crawley. Muller-Rowland's body was found near Sandy Lane between Bow Brickhill and Woburn Lane. Woburn, Bletchley and Leighton Buzzard fire brigades were all called out to attend the accident. Because of the secrecy of the aircraft the local police sealed the area to keep the public away, and after the crash police officers visited local schools to appeal for any 'souvenirs' to be returned.

The accident investigation pointed to a faulty oxygen system that incapacitated the pilot. A coroner's report published in the local newspaper one month later confirmed that the pilot died from a broken neck. The failure of the left wing as the plane dived, occurred just above the garage at Brickhill. This failure was presumed to be the source of a "bang" described by witnesses at Brickhill. Swishing sounds which were reported came from the aircraft spinning at a high rate due to it having only one wing. It came down in the woods after glancing off an oak tree; the traces of the impact were still visible 50 years later. The airframe and right wing were dismantled by the military, and removed very quickly. The left wing was also recovered from the fields just north of Brickhill.

A nearby German field worker ran over to the crash site and was met by the mechanic from Brickhill garage who had rushed to the crash site in his car to offer assistance. The pilot was already dead. A search for the crash site in 2001 by a local using a metal detector was successful. He found some of the mounting bolts "cone shaped" that were removed when the remains had been dismantled on site. The tree that the DH 108 had hit was also found, with the scar still visible in 2001. The earlier theory that a faulty oxygen system was the cause was ruled out by the coroner in his later report.

Crew of DH.108 VW120
Squadron Leader John Stuart Muller-Rowland DSO DFC, Officer Commanding Aero Flight, RAE Farnborough

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.99 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 35
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/8: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424129
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/30/S2482: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578328
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_DH_108
6. http://www.bowbrickhill.com/dehavillandcrash.html
7. https://www.wingleader.co.uk/A-Very-British-Sound-Barrier-p/soundbarrier.htm
8. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=198
9. http://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/2011/02/sldr-stuart-muller-rowland-dfc-1921.html

DH 108 VW120 in flight, in 1949: 3-side view of the De Havilland DH.108 Swallow VW120

12 April 1948. The de Havilland DH 108 "Swallow" VW120 established a new World Air Speed Record of 604.98 mph on a 62 mile circuit. pic.twitter.com/pL0o16AgR8

— Ron Eisele (@ron_eisele) 12 April 2019

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Nov-2011 22:49	angels one five	Added
15-Jan-2013 11:14	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
26-Feb-2013 21:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative]
29-Dec-2018 20:18	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
28-Nov-2019 21:15	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
23-Dec-2019 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
23-Dec-2019 21:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code]