Date:	Saturday 5 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk XI
Owner/operator:	BAFO CW RAF
Registration:	PL761
MSN:	CHA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Valkenburg Airfield, Katwijk, near Leiden, Zuid-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Uetersen, West Germany
Destination airport:	Valkenburg Airfield, Katwijk, near Leiden, Zuid-Holland

Narrative:
PL761: Spitfire PR. XI, built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M63 engine. Delivered to RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 28-2-44. To 4 (IV) Squadron, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 15-6-44. Cat C (repairable) accident 22-6-44. To 412RSU 29-6-44 for repairs. To 1PP RAF Benson Oxfordshire 6-3-45. To BAFO Communications Wing 23-10-45.

Cat B accident 5-1-46 when struck Auster NJ934 while landing at Valkenburg, Holland 5-1-46. The pilot was instructed to overshoot the airfield at Valkenburg, due to a "traffic conflict". However, the message was not received (or not clearly heard) due to the amount of R/T "chatter", and therefore the pilot of Spitfire PL761 failed to act on the message, and continued his approach. As a result, the Spitfire collided with Netherlands Air Force Auster NJ934. Spitfire PL761 was damaged, but the pilot survived; however, the two crew of Auster NJ934 were killed.

Spitfire PL761 sent to 151RU 5-1-46 for damage assessment, and possible repair. Not repaired, re-cat E and Struck Off Charge 31-1-46

Valkenburg Naval Air Base (Dutch: Vliegkamp Valkenburg) (IATA: LID, ICAO: EHVB) is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service until 2006. It was also used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force from mid-1945 to late 1947.

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.27
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.93: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PL761
6. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PL761
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/91411-pl761
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkenburg_Naval_Air_Base

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Sep-2013 20:32	JINX	Added
27-Mar-2015 18:55	Jixon	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
23-Apr-2019 16:15	Cobar	Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities]
17-Jun-2022 13:27	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
29-Jul-2023 21:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Location]]
18-Sep-2023 12:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Location]]]