Date:	Monday 5 April 1954
Time:	day
Type:	North American Harvard T Mk 2B
Owner/operator:	3 FTS RAF
Registration:	FS900
MSN:	14A-1030
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ive Farm, Middle Drove, 4 miles NW of Downham Market, Norfolk -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Feltwell, Thetford, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American Harvard T.2B FS900: Ex-USAAF 43-12739. Delivered to the RAF in April 1945. RAF service was with 20 FTS (April 1946 to September 1946), 20 SFTS (September 1946 to July 1947), 2 FTS (as "FAI-M")(July 1947 to May 1951), 22 FTS (as "FCJ-Y")(May to August 1951), 1 FTS (August 1951 to January 1952) and lastly with 3 FTS, RAF Feltwell, Thetford, Norfolk (as "P-X")(from January 1952)

Written off (destroyed) 5/4/54 when crashed four miles North West of Downham Market, Norfolk. Both crew killed. (The death certificate for both crew gives the official place of death as "Ivy Farm, Middle Drove, Marshland, Norfolk, England"). At 2,500 feet a propeller blade came away from the engine, and shortly afterwards, the engine detached itself from its mountings. A MAYDAY call was made, stating that the crew were baling out.

Although the instructor successfully baled out at 200 feet, it is thought that he delayed his departure from the aircraft until it was at such a low level, in order to assist his student's survival. Sadly, the instructor's parachute did not deploy, and he was killed.

The student pilot under instruction had undone his seat straps, but did not bail out, only leaving the aircraft when he was thrown out by the force of the impact of the aircraft with the ground. He was killed by the force of the crash impact.

Crew of Harvard FS900
Flight Sergeant Victor Delwyn Brown (Instructor Pilot, Service Number 570738, aged 33) - killed on active service 5/4/54
Acting Pilot Officer Brian Richard Fisher (Student Pilot Under Instruction, Service Number 2600867, aged 22) - killed on active service 5/4/54

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.155 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p 94)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.49
4. http://www.feltwell.net/raffeltwell/articles/other_war_graves.htm
5. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156997280/victor-delwyn-brown
7. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40042/supplement/6803/data.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Apr-2020 19:44	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Apr-2020 19:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
07-Apr-2020 19:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
07-Apr-2020 19:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
07-Apr-2020 19:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
10-Apr-2020 09:22	Investig	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]