Date:	Friday 24 March 1950
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	26 Sqn RAF
Registration:	VV487
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Hassocks Railway Station, Hassocks, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wunstorf, Germany (ETNW)
Destination airport:	RAF Odiham, Hampshire (ODH/EGVO)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5, VV487 (XC-R), 26 Squadron, RAF Wunstorf. Written off 24 March 1950: Engine cut out due to suspected rear bearing failure and force-landed in a field near Hassocks Railway Station, Hassocks, West Sussex. Pilot: PIlot Officer Maurice J Biggs uninjured. Airframe Re Cat as scrap (Cat.5(s)) and struck off charge 14 April 1950.

According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Derby Daily Telegraph" - Friday 24 March 1950):

"Crash-Landing By Jet Fighter.
A Vampire jet fighter flying cross-country from Wunsdorf (Germany) to Odiham (Hants) crash-landed at Hassocks (Sussex) to-day. The pilot was unhurt and there was no damage to other people or property, but a jettisoned fuel tank fell near an A.A. patrolman."

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.100 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 43
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=5268.0
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassocks
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Feb-2020 21:16	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Feb-2020 10:48	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]