Date:	Monday 16 February 1953
Time:	night
Type:	English Electric Canberra B Mk 2
Owner/operator:	231 OCU RAF
Registration:	WF889
MSN:	71090
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	2 miles north of RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
English Electric Canberra B.Mk.2 WF889, 231 OCU, RAF: Delivered 30/6/1952. Written off (destroyed) 16/2/1953. The aircraft passed over RAF Bassingbourn airfield at night at circuit height with both engines running, and the navigation lights on. Two miles north of Bassingbourn airfield, the aircraft was seen to enter into a vertical dive, and to crash.

Crashed and destroyed 16/2/1953 when dived into ground in circuit at night, two miles north of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, killing all three crew:

Crew:
Pilot Officer Norman Robertson Mitchell (Observer, aged 21) RAF - killed in service 16/2/1953
Pilot Officer Alexander Jack Smith (Pilot, aged 24) RAF - killed in service 16/2/1953
Pilot Officer (25101813) Frederick George O'Brian (Navigator) RAF - killed in service 16/2/1953

Although the cause of the loss of the aircraft was never determined, the pilot had limited night flying experience, and little dual flying instruction on the Canberra. Wreckage of Canberra WF889 Struck Off Charge as Cat.5(Scrap) at No.58 MU, RAF Sutton Bridge 13/3/1953

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.141 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 341
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/138: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424259
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2618: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578464
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WF
7. Grave of P/O Norman R. Mitchell: https://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/5485888410
8. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
9. http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/BassingbourncumKneesworthPostWar.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2008 12:18	JINX	Added
04-Apr-2013 18:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
12-Nov-2018 21:23	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
25-Dec-2019 21:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
25-Dec-2019 21:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
25-Dec-2019 21:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
27-Dec-2019 12:14	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
13-Apr-2021 19:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
13-Apr-2021 19:10	JIXON	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Nature, Narrative, Operator]
13-Apr-2021 19:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]