Date:	Tuesday 12 August 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	BCTU RAF
Registration:	PB596
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Land Burn Stream, near RAF Wigtown, Wigtownshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wigtown, Wigtownshire
Destination airport:	RAF Wigtown, Wigtownshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III PB596 BCTU (Bomber Command Trials Unit) RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 12 August 1947 when overshot landing and crashed into a stream at RAF Wigtown, Wigtownshire.

The Lancaster had a bomb load on board, which was being ferried to RAF Wigtown. The pilot approached to land at RAF Wigtown, on a relatively short runway, with a light crosswind blowing. The pilot 'floated' above the runway at RAF Wigtown on final approach and did not touch down until the aircraft was one-third of the distance along the runway. The Lancaster overshot, ran off the end of the short runway at RAF Wigtown, went through the boundary fence, and ended up in a stream (The Land Burn)

The pilot was relatively inexperienced, and he was "reproved" (reprimanded) and posted away to gain more flying experience elsewhere

Lancaster PB596 served with 9 Sqn, 61 Sqn, 463 Sqn, 1669 HCU, and 1668 HCU. Between 7-10-1944 and 1-4-1945 it completed 23 operational missions with 9 and 463 Squadrons

Not repaired and struck off charge 23-9-47 as Cat. E(FA); no fatalities or injuries reported.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.67. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p.328
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Wigtown#Bomber_Command_Trials_Unit
6. http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RAFWigtown

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Aug-2013 05:18	JINX	Added
22-Jan-2019 19:40	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
07-Nov-2019 23:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
12-Nov-2019 22:29	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]