Date:	Friday 27 August 1954
Time:	day
Type:	Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator:	66 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XD776
MSN:	697
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Duddington, Northamptonshire, 12 miles SW of North Luffenham -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	North Luffenham
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Canadair CL-13 (F-86E) Sabre: USAF serial 52-10231 assigned, probably never marked. Diverted to RAF before RCAF serial 19797 marked, became XD776. First flight on 21 July 1953. Operated by No. 66 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse, UK, coded "Z".

Written off (destroyed) 27 August 1954: During a display rehearsal the cockpit filled with smoke and flames caused by a fire in the port ammunition bay due to heat control failure, at Duddington, Northamptonshire, 12 miles south-west of North Luffenham. Pilot, Flight Lieutenant G 'Jed' Gray, ejected successfully.

Excerpt from the journal of I.G.A. Fothergill (then Flg Off) 66 Sqn. Written 2018.
On 27th Aug '54 66 Sqn was sent on attachment to North Luffenham to take part in exercises with the Yanks. We were dispatched from Linton in pairs, at 3 minute intervals. I was flying as number 2 to my flight commander Jed Gray. Flight was normal, running in at 1,000 ft and approx 8 mile from a break and landing at Luffenham. A garbled message was then heard from an unknown pilot/aircraft. I then noticed Jed's cockpit appeared to be full of smoke. To my surprise his canopy suddenly flew off but his cockpit was still full of smoke. I kept formatting on Jed , noticed him eject from aircraft, separate from seat and deploy parachute. For about 6 seconds I continued to formate on pilot-less, burning aircraft which was slowly turning left away from me. Upon realising what had happened, I broke away and followed Jed in his parachute to the ground. He stood up and waved to me. By this time aircraft had impacted with ground in a massive ball of flames. After making necessary emergency calls I made a safe landing at Luffebham, a very shaken up pilot.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.162 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 2001 p.20)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.84
4. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19751_19800_detailed.htm
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/231: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424352
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XD
7. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1954.htm
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duddington

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jul-2012 23:37	Daniel Nole	Added
26-Jun-2013 14:28	TB	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Country, Source, Damage]
30-Jan-2014 23:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
17-Feb-2014 15:06	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
18-Feb-2014 10:34	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
24-Mar-2018 07:33	TB	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative]
08-Jan-2020 23:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Jan-2020 14:50	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
01-Feb-2020 20:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
20-Apr-2020 01:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
26-Apr-2022 19:53	D.G.A. Fothrgill	Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, Photo]