Date:	Wednesday 2 May 1951
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 3
Owner/operator:	1 OFU RAF
Registration:	VT794
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	2 miles SSE of Southrop, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hawarden, Flintshire (EGNR)
Destination airport:	RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.3 VT794, 1 OFU (Overseas Ferry Unit), RAF: The aircraft was on a delivery/ferry flight to the Middle East when the pilot called for a QGH (Ground Controlled Approach through cloud). The aircraft was "talked down" to an altitude of 1,000 feet, at which point the aircraft was seen to dive into the ground two miles south south east of Southrop, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire. The pilot was killed.

It is possible that the control was lost because the instruments toppled in a hard turn on final approach, whilst flying in thundery weather, and cu-nimbus cloud. In trying to recover, the airframe stress limits were exceeded and the aircraft broke up in flight.

Crew of Vampire VT794:
Flight Lieutenant Herbert Henry Sincock, RAF (Pilot, Service Number 3054073) - killed on active service 2/5/51

The reported crash location of Southrop is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on the River Leach at approximate co ordinates 51.699999°N 1.6916°W. Lechlade is three miles to the north west.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 113 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings P 133
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/49: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424170
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2525: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578371
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
6. https://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southrop

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Dec-2019 23:32	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-Dec-2019 23:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative]
26-Dec-2019 23:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
27-Dec-2019 12:14	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
21-Jan-2021 21:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Narrative]