Date:	Tuesday 2 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk XI
Owner/operator:	1401 Met Flt RAF
Registration:	PA859
MSN:	CHA.5226
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near RAF Celle, Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Destination airport:	RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Confidence Rating:	Little or no information is available

Narrative:
PA859: Spitfire PR. XI, MSN CHA.5226. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M70 engine. First Flown 24-12-43. To RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 1-3-44. To 541 Squadron, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 26-3-44. Damaged by enemy action (Cat B) 1-1-45. To HAL (Heston Aircraft Ltd) for repairs. To 1401 Meteorological Flight 19-2-46 after repairs completed. As per the file at the National Archives (see link #5):

"1401 Meteorological Flight; based at Bircham Newton and Manston (UK), then moved to Melsbroek, Eindhoven and B 118 Celle (Netherlands/Germany) February 1942 to June 1946"

Written off 2-4-46 when engine lost power, resulting in a force-landing near RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany. The boost control lever became disconnected, and the throttle was inoperative. Due to the sudden loss of engine power, the pilot made an immediate forced landing in a field, using what little engine power that was still available.

Not repaired; struck off charge as Cat. E (FA) 2-4-46.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.37. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.115
3. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999.
4. P F Griffiths Pilots Flying Log Book
5. 1401 Meteorological Flight RAF ORB for the period 1-2-1942 to 30-6-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/866/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161883
6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p084.html
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PA859
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PA859
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/91736-pa859
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._541_Squadron_RAF#Formation_in_World_War_II
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celle_Air_Base#Allied_occupation_1945_until_1957

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Aug-2013 03:04	JINX	Added
22-Nov-2013 19:41	Anon.	Updated [Nature, Source, Damage]
27-Mar-2015 18:50	James JUMP	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
24-May-2015 20:09	Iwosh	Updated [Operator]
21-Jun-2023 17:01	Nepa	Updated [[Operator]]
02-Jul-2023 18:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Operator]]]
05-Jul-2023 16:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Operator]]]]
12-Jul-2023 17:05	Nepa	Updated [[[[[Operator]]]]]
16-Sep-2023 14:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[[[Operator]]]]]]