Date:	Monday 11 February 1946
Time:
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk 34
Owner/operator:	51 MU RAF
Registration:	RG313
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Fradley near RAF stn Lichfield, Staffordshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Lichfield, Staffordshire
Destination airport:	RAF Lichfield
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Mosquito RG313: Took off for test flight. 11/02/1946
Engaged in a test flight over Fradley aerodrome on Monday afternoon, a the Mosquito crashed about 300 yards on the Fradley side of the station. Crashed during a slow roll at 3,000 ft. The pilot lost of control during acrobatics, aircraft dived into the ground near the base. This resulted in the death of the pilot and his passenger. We understand that the plane had been airborne for about forty minutes, and after a number of twists and turns was in the act of a spiral turn from which it did not come out..
Crew: 
F/Lt (81381) Mark George LACAYO AFC (pilot) RAFVR - killed
LAC (1515122) Richard George DICKENS (pass.) RAFVR - killed

According to a contemporary local newspaper report:
“FATAL CRASH AT FRADLEY” 11.2.1946 
“Engaged in a test flight over Fradley aerodrome on Monday afternoon, a Mosquito plane crashed about 300 yards on the Fradley side of the station. This resulted in the death of the pilot F/Lt Lacayo and his passenger LAC Dickens. We understand that the plane had been airborne for about forty minutes, and after a number of twists and turns was in the act of a spiral turn from which it did not come out.

F/Lt Lacayo was well-known and respected in Lichfield, and since he came to be stationed about two years ago at Fradley he had resided in Bird Street. He was flying in the old RFC in 1917, and on the outbreak of the last war he was called up on reserve. For many years he was in business at Manchester with the shipbuilding firm of Geo. Lacayo and Sons, and was the youngest son of the late Mr. Don Jorge Lacayo, who was for many years the Consul General for Nicaragua.”
At the age of 46 at the time of the above fatal accident, F/Lt Lacayo was one of the oldest pilots in the RAF still engaged in active flying duties.

1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.ORB 51 MU RAF
3.https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101218
4.National Archives (PRO Kew) AIB File AVIA 5/28/W2323.
5.https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578169
6. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/nwcrashes1945-52.htm
7. https://salfordwarmemorials.proboards.com/post/11769
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty/2713054/mark-anthony-lacayo/
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty/2712967/richard-george-dickens/
10. Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells:
11. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213178145/mark-anthony-lacayo
12. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225518075/richard-george-dickens
13. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=25725
14. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
15. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949
16. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Lichfield#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Feb-2014 10:29	Nepa	Added
30-Jul-2014 16:34	Depak	Updated [Location, Narrative]
10-Sep-2015 12:32	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative]
03-Apr-2019 15:16	Nepa	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, Operator]
04-Nov-2019 21:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
05-Nov-2019 09:04	Nepa	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator]
05-Nov-2019 09:05	Nepa	Updated [Nature, Destination airport, Operator]
21-Nov-2019 19:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
09-Jan-2020 20:46	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
11-Jun-2021 22:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
11-Jun-2021 22:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
12-Jun-2021 16:01	Puck	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]
21-Jun-2021 16:03	Gerard	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Operator]
13-Jul-2021 16:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
31-Aug-2022 21:43	Nepa	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]
15-Jul-2023 01:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]]
15-Jul-2023 08:44	Nepa	Updated [[[Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator]]]