Date:	Monday 25 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	61 OTU RAF
Registration:	SL545
MSN:	CBAF4659
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Destination airport:	RAF Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
SL545: Spitfire LF.XVI, MSN CBAF.4659: Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 29 MU High Ercoll, Shropshire 24-7-45. First issued to 66 OTU 12-2-46, thence to 61 OTU, RAF Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Written off when crashed on landing at RAF Keevil, Trowbridge Wiltshire 25-3-46. According to one source:

"Landed on a lorry trapping the driver (Mr Joseph Hughes - my grandfather). He was seriously injured but survived for another 9 years. The pilot was from the USAAF". (One source names the pilot as "Pilot Officer Marchsafe").

However, Colin Cummings book "Final Landings" (see link #2) gives the accident details as "The aircraft landed heavily" [at RAF Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire] "and the starboard undercarriage leg was distorted by the force of the impact on the runway. The aircraft swung to port, and the damaged starboard undercarriage leg collapsed"

Damage initially assessed as FACB (Flying Accident Cat. B - repairable); re-cat FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E - write off) and Struck Off Charge 19-8-46.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.35. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.102
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. ORB 61 OTU RAF ORB (Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1-6-1941 to 30-6-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 29/685/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161034
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p099.html
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90085-sl545
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SL545
9. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=%20SL545
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Keevil#Postwar_military_use

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Apr-2013 11:51	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-Jan-2014 11:34	Matt jones	Updated [Other fatalities, Narrative]
15-Jun-2014 09:55	angels one five	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Narrative]
05-Apr-2015 09:15	Gloug	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
06-Nov-2019 03:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
06-Nov-2019 20:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
12-Nov-2019 22:34	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
24-Jun-2021 01:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
24-Jun-2021 01:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
06-Jul-2023 21:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source]]
20-Aug-2023 18:06	Nepa	Updated [[[Source]]]
17-Sep-2023 14:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Source]]]]