Date:	Saturday 13 March 1948
Time:
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito T Mk III
Owner/operator:	504 (County of Nottingham) Sqn RAF
Registration:	VP345
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Moorgreen, Eastwood, near RAF stn Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Mosquito VP345: Took off for a Training flight. 13/03/1948.
Caught fire on take-off in a normal training flight and crashed inverted into a field at Moor Green, Eastwood.
Port engine lost power at 400 feet, then it began to stream smoke before it failed completely.
Pilot did not feather the propeller, and the aircraft began to turn through 180 degrees, allowing the air speed to drop below the required single engine safety speed. Continuing to turn and losing height, the pilot tried to pull up over rising ground, but the Mosquito stalled and crashed inverted, catching fire and burning out.
Crew:
F/Lt (90077) Michael 'Mickey' ROOK DFC (pilot) RAF - killed
F/O (120664) Richard Malborne BOYLE (nav.) RAFVR - killed

The pilot had served with distinction with the RAF during WWII, becoming the Commanding Officer of 43 Squadron, and rising to the rank of Wing Commander. He had rejoined the RAF in 1946, accepting the reduced rank of Flight Lieutenant in order to remain in active service, quote:

"After the end of hostilities in 1945, Wing Commander Micky Rook became Flight-Lieutenant Rook in order to remain on active service. January 1947 saw him flying Oxfords, but by April and May that year his logbook indicates the conversion of 504 Sqn at Hucknall to Mosquito T. IIIs".

1. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txt
2. ORB 504 Sqn RAF: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2497:
3. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505135
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2412:
5. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578258
6. http://www.sohamgrammar.org.uk/postWW2-dead.htm
7. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/RookM.htm
8. Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain
9. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p379
10. Biography of pilot: https://rauxaf.org/rook-michael-504/
11. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VP
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorgreen
13. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/michael-rook.115372/
14. https://rauxaf.org/features-roll-of-honour-names-a-to-e/
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._504_Squadron_RAF#Into_the_jet_age
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hucknall_Aerodrome#Postwar_use

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Oct-2013 18:17	Nepa	Added
01-Jun-2014 15:56	Nepa	Updated [Total occupants, Location, Departure airport]
20-Jul-2014 14:38	Repac	Updated [Operator]
20-Aug-2014 20:30	Repac	Updated [Total fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative]
31-Jul-2015 10:23	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type]
16-Aug-2018 11:05	angels one five	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Narrative]
14-May-2019 09:00	Nepa	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator]
29-Nov-2019 19:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
02-Dec-2019 11:14	Nepa	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Operator]
14-Jul-2021 17:45	TB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Narrative, Operator]
08-Aug-2021 19:40	Anon.	Updated [Location, Operator]
27-Aug-2022 22:19	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
27-Aug-2022 22:35	Nepa	Updated [Location, Operator]