Date:	Sunday 6 March 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 22
Owner/operator:	603 (City of Edinburgh) Sqn RAF
Registration:	PK614
MSN:	CBAF.179
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Turnhouse, Midlothian
Destination airport:	RAF Turnhouse, Midlothian

Narrative:
PK614: Spitfire F.22. MSN CBAF179. Built at Vickers Armstrongs South Marston with Griffon G61 engine*. First flown 30.11.45. Delivered to 33 MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 1-1-46. Returned to VASM (Vickers Armstrongs South Marston) for modifications and Conversion 4-3-47. Delivered to the CFE (Central Fighter Establishment) RAF West Raynham, Fakenham, Norfolk 13-11-47. To 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, RAF Turnhouse 12-4-48

Swung off runway on landing stalled on attempted overshoot and crashed at RAF Turnhouse, Midlothian 6-3-49. The pilot landed the aircraft at Turnhouse, and it swung off the runway. The pilot then attempted to overshoot by opening the throttle. However, due to the long, wet grass on the runway at the time the aircraft did not accelerate quickly enough and the Spitfire stalled, cashing into a field beyond the runway at Turnhouse. The pilot was killed due to injuries sustained.

Crew of Spitfire PK614:
Flying Officer John Morton Mears (141873) - killed on active service 6-3-49 and cremated at Warriston Crematorium, Edinburgh R.I.P.

Spitfire PK614 was declared FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and struck off charge as scrap 19-5-49

*NOTE: Several published sources state that Spitfire PK614 was the last ever Spitfire to be completed at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory), and not at South Marston. To quote the article in Flypast magazine (see link #5): "The last complete Spitfire flown from Castle Bromwich was Mk.22 PK614 on November 30, 1945. It was issued to the RAF in January 1946. The last complete Spitfire fuselage down the track at Castle Bromwich was Mk.22 PK726, which was destined to be completed as an Mk.24 at South Marston in March 1946".

A total of 287 Spitfire Mk 22s were built: 260 at Castle Bromwich and 27 by Supermarine at South Marston.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.544
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 603 Squadron ORB for the period 1-7-46 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2506: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505144
5. https://www.key.aero/article/inside-wartime-spitfire-factory
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p085.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PK614
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79728-pk614
9. https://rauxaf.org/features-roll-of-honour-names-m-to-r/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._603_Squadron_RAF#Post_war
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Turnhouse

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2013 08:12	JINX	Added
01-Mar-2014 22:50	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
10-Jul-2014 05:17	angels one five	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Nature, Narrative]
27-Mar-2015 18:02	Jixon	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Destination airport]
11-Aug-2023 00:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Destination airport]]
20-Aug-2023 09:10	Nepa	Updated [[[Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Destination airport]]]