Date:	Saturday 24 July 1954
Time:
Type:	Gloster Meteor Mk 8
Owner/operator:	43 (China-British) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WE897
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1 mile NW of RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife (EGQL)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
WE897: Delivered to the RAF at 33 MU Lyneham 25.6.51. First issued to 247 Sqn 18.4.52; damaged when turbine blade failure damaged the airframe, 7.10.52. Damage initially assessed as Cat 3R; re-cat 4R and returned to Gloster Aircraft 3.12.52 for repairs. Returned to the RAF at 33 MU Lyneham 29.9.53. Issued to 43 Sqn 6.11 .53.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when collided with Meteor F.8 WL114 while attacking a RN FAA Hawker Sea Hawk during Exercise "Dividend"; ejection seat fired 1 mile North West of Leuchars, Fife 24.7.54. Pilot, Flying Officer Hugh Johnstone Gourley, was killed

Crew: Flying Officer Hugh Johnstone GOURLEY RAF (pilot, aged 20, Service Number 3507328, from Dunedin, New Zealand) killed on active service 24.7.54.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.161 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p.84)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.76
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE
5. http://www.air-britain.com/pdfs/sampleaeromil.pdf
6. http://web.archive.org/web/20160324100552/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/BASES_RAF/Leuchars/raf_leuchars.htm
7. https://otagotaphophile.blogspot.com/2017/08/failed-to-eject.html?m=0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2008 15:56	JINX	Added
18-Jan-2012 10:03	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative]
26-Jul-2014 10:03	angels one five	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative]
10-May-2015 17:47	Angel Dick one	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
06-Jun-2015 15:55	Angel dick one	Updated [Operator]
26-May-2017 17:46	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
26-May-2017 17:47	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
16-Apr-2020 20:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]