Date:	Saturday 18 July 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Canadair Sabre F4 (F-86E)
Owner/operator:	147 Sqn RAF
Registration:	XB882
MSN:	645
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Dunturne, 4 miles north of Broughty Ferry, Angus, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Prestwick, Ayrshire (EGPK)
Destination airport:	RAF Benson, Oxfordshire (EGUB)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Canadair CL-13 (F-86E) Sabre F.4: Diverted to RAF before RCAF serial 19745 marked, became XB882 in RAF service. First flight on 8 June 1953. Delivered to the RAF (taken on charge) 18 July 1953. Issued to 147 Squadron for ferry flight to UK.

Written off (destroyed) 18 July 1953: While on delivery from Canada to 147 Squadron, and when at 18,000 feet and 320 knots IAS, after being airborne for approximately ten minutes, the pilot heard a loud explosion behind him, and so he throttled back the engine.

As everything appeared to be normal, the pilot rejoined the formation. However, immediately after this, he noticed that the undercarriage doors began to open and close by themselves, the generator light came on, the ammeter warning light was illuminated, the radio compass had failed, and the cockpit filled with fumes.

The pilot - Pilot Officer J. Butrym (707146) - intended to jettison the canopy to clear the smoke but inadvertently pulled the ejection handle as well. The aircraft crashed near Duntrune, four miles north of Broughty Ferry, Angus. During the descent, following the ejection, the pilot (still in his seat) was struck by the departing canopy, which caused injuries. The pilot also suffered further injuries when he landed heavily.

It can be presumed that the pilot recovered from his injuries, and returned to service, as he was promoted from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer on 2/4/1954 (see link #8) and retired from the RAF on 24/5/1956 (see link #9)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.147 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 390
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100-XZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 2001 p 10)
4. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1953.htm
5. http://web.archive.org/web/20160316150721/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/RAF-Sabres.htm
6. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_19701_19750_detailed.htm
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XB
8. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40139/supplement/2042/data.pdf
9. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40808/supplement/3583/data.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-May-2013 16:15	Dr. John Smith	Added
01-May-2013 17:04	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
01-May-2013 17:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
25-Jun-2013 19:26	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative]
30-Jan-2020 23:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
30-Jan-2020 23:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
30-Jan-2020 23:26	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
04-May-2021 20:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
04-May-2021 20:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
04-May-2021 20:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
05-May-2021 08:39	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
05-May-2021 11:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]