Date:	Monday 20 April 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor T Mk 7
Owner/operator:	206 AFS RAF
Registration:	WG989
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1.5 miles NE of RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WG989, 206 AFS RAF: delivered 2/11/1951. Written off (destroyed) 20/4/1953 when crashed one-and-a-half miles North East of RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire. Pilot killed.

After carrying out three roller landings, the aircraft turned down wind at between 300 and 500 feet, and at normal circuit speed. The aircraft was seen to drop its left wing, roll over and dive into the ground. The cause of the accident was attributed by the RAF Board of Inquiry to the pilot losing control, due to leaving the air brakes fully extended in error.

The crash was caused by a 'Phantom Dive' in that the undercarriage was lowered with the airbrakes out. As the undercarriage came down asymmetrically on the Meteor this caused a yaw which could not be counteracted due to disturbed airflow over the rudder from the air brakes. Although the Meteor T.Mk.7 is a two seater, the pilot was flying solo - his second ever solo flight on a Gloster Meteor.

Crew of Meteor WG989:
Pilot Officer Sidney Basil FORD (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 20/4/1953

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.144 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 362
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. 206 AFS ORB (Operational Record Book)(Air Ministry File AM/F,540) for the period 1/10/1951 to 31/5/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 29/2146/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162860
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/147: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424268
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2628: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578474
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WG
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?9765-Meteor-losses-at-206-AFS-RAF-Oakington-1951-to-January-1953

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Jun-2008 19:04	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 16:30	Jixn	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport]
25-Dec-2019 22:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
25-Dec-2019 22:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Dec-2019 22:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
25-Apr-2021 19:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
25-Apr-2021 19:52	Jixn	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Narrative, Operator]