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Date: | Wednesday 13 October 1943 |
Time: | 15:45 |
Type: | de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk II |
Owner/operator: | 60 OTU RAF |
Registration: | HJ617 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Minor |
Location: | 2 miles east of RAF stn Speke, Merseyside, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | RAF High Ercall, Shropshire |
Destination airport: | RAF Speke, Merseyside |
Narrative:Mosquito HJ617: Took off for Training flight. 13/10/1943
1/Lt Eckert of the 87th ATC, who was on a ferry flight from RAF Warton to RAF Burtonwood, was circling
RAF Speke in his P-47, preparing to pick up his new heading when a Mosquito flew into his line of flight. The propeller of his P-47 nicked the port wing of the Mosquito HJ617. Both aircraft landed safely at RAF Speke.
Crew:
F/O (108.800) Peter John GARNER (pilot) RAFVR - Ok
1st Lt Robert L.Eckert’s account of the accident was as follows“At 15:45 hrs 13/10/1943 while making a left hand circuit of RAF Speke, I turned to the East to proceed to Burtonwood. Before turning I looked back and to each side, the only aircraft in sight was a P-47 headed in the same direction as my aircraft. I started to turn and as my left wing came up, another aircraft flew into my line of sight on my left. I nosed down but could not avoid a collision. After collision the engine was very rough and power had to be reduced so much the aircraft would not maintain altitude. I landed on runway 04 at RAF Speke. This was not the duty runway in use, but altitude was being lost so fast I chose runway 04. I was flying P-47D6 No.42-74642. The only visible damage to the P-47 was the propeller. Upon landing I found the other aircraft was a Mosquito flown by F/O Garner. The damage visible to his aircraft was the underside of the port wing outboard the engine and the outboard petrol tank was damaged. This collision took place about two miles east of RAF Speke at 1500 feet”.
F/O Garner of 1 Sqdn 60 OTU was on a routine flying training flight from his base at RAF High Ercall in Shropshire at the time of the incident, his account of the accident was as follows:
“I had been detailed for flying practice from No1 Sqdn at 60 OTU RAF High Ercall, and I was orbiting near Speke, about two miles away from the aerodrome, preparatory to obtaining a homing to my base. I was at a height of about 1500 feet when I felt a big bump, and looking at my port wing I saw that petrol was streaming from it. I decided to force land at Speke, and gained as much height as possible. I came in on the long runway (080), but noticed workmen on the runway so was forced to go round again. As my engines were apparently serviceable I decided to land on duty runway, which I did. While walking to the watch office, I met a pilot of the USAAF, who said he had collided with me in a Thunderbolt”.
Sources:
1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.http://web.archive.org/web/20170919005356/
3.http://lamr.co.uk/Crashes/42-74642%20-HJ617.htm
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
31-May-2013 19:35 |
Nepa |
Added |
29-Jul-2014 16:19 |
Depak |
Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Destination airport, Narrative] |
03-Aug-2015 11:16 |
Nepa |
Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
31-Mar-2019 19:36 |
Nepa |
Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Operator] |
20-Nov-2021 18:44 |
Nepa |
Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator] |
17-Mar-2022 09:35 |
Nepa |
Updated [Narrative, Operator] |