Date:	Friday 12 October 1951
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	98 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WA143
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Asherton Farm, Horse Down, Larkhill, Wiltshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Boscombe Down, Wiltshire (EGDM)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
DeHavilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 WA143/"C", 98 Squadron, RAF: Written off when crashed and destroyed 12/10/1951: Caught fire during ground attack practice on the Larkhill ranges during Exercise "Surprise Packet". Blew up in forced landing, Asherton Farm, Horse Down, Larkhill, Wiltshire.

The aircraft was seen to climb away from the target area, but also seen to be on fire around the engine bay and the wing roots. The pilot was informed of the fire by ATC (Air Traffic Control), and although he made no reply, the aircraft was seen to attempt a forced landing. However, the Vampire broke up on impact with the ground, and the pilot sustained fatal injuries when he was thrown from the wreckage of the disintegrating airframe.

Crew of Vampire WA143:
Pilot Officer Nigel Robert Lumsden Saunders (Service Number 607122, aged 22) - killed on active service 12/10/1951, buried at Cranwell (St. Andrew) Churchyard, Cranwell, Lincolnshire,

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.120. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 187
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/71: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424192
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2547: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578393
6. Photo of pilots grave: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96555212@N08/48580184867/
7. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
9. Wreckage of Vampire WA143 (0:47-0:58): https://www.britishpathe.com/video/selected-originals-army-manoeuvres
10. http://www.rafjever.org/98squadaircraft.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Mar-2008 09:08	JINX	Added
23-Jan-2012 05:26	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Phase]
06-May-2013 12:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
24-Dec-2019 22:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
25-Dec-2019 12:01	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
27-Dec-2019 21:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
08-Jan-2020 22:44	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
12-Feb-2021 21:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
12-Feb-2021 21:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]