Date:	Tuesday 27 October 1953
Time:	16:25 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	208 AFS RAF
Registration:	VV618
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	between Rhymney and Dowlais, 2 miles E of Methyr Tydfil, Glamorgan -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Valley, Anglesey (VLY/EGOV)
Destination airport:	RAF Merryfield, Ilton, Ilchester, Somerset (EGDI)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk 5 VV618 from 208 AFS (Advanced Flying School), RAF crashed and destroyed 27 October 1953.During cross country training the pilot refuelled at RAF Valley in Anglesey. Shortly after take off from Valley, his port fuel tank fell off and hit church railings at Rhymney Wales. The plane went into a steep climb, then a shallow dive before crashing 2 miles east of Methyr Tydfil, between Rhymney and Dowlais, Glamorgan, at approximately 4.25 pm killing the pilot.
Crew:
P/O (607359) Derek Victor Reypert,(pilot) RAF -killed

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents, Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p 152 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 423
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p.91)
4. Wings Over Somerset: Aircraft Crashes since the End of World War II p.By Peter Forrester
5. Doylerush, E, 2008, Rocks in the Clouds: High Ground Aircraft Crashes in South Wales, p.21 & p107.
6. 208 AFS ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/11/1951 to 31/5/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) flie AIR 29/2147 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101857
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
9. http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.cz/2009_10_01_archive.html
10. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
11. http://www.friendsofsomersetarchives.org.uk/files/Snippets/Snippets%20Mar%202013.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Oct-2013 07:29	Nepa	Added
09-Sep-2014 17:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Sep-2014 17:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
10-Mar-2021 10:05	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Operator]
20-May-2021 16:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-May-2021 22:12	Vicktor	Updated [Operator, Nature, Narrative, Operator]