Date:	Thursday 27 May 1954
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10
Owner/operator:	5 RFS RAF
Registration:	WP779
MSN:	C1/0669
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire
Destination airport:	RAF Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WP779: delivered 19/6/1952, RAF service was with 17 RFS (Reserve Flying School) and 5 RFS.

Written off 27/5/54: During a post-overhaul air test, the aircraft made a slow roll over the airfield at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, Warwickshire, but struck the ground due to the pilot starting the roll at too slow an airspeed and too low altitude. Both crew were killed. According to an eyewitness report (see link #6):

"...the Chipmunk that crashed did not crash on the concrete but crashed on the middle of the airfield on grass. I know because I was part of the crash crew. I have photos to prove it: the two crew that perished were an airforce officer and a friend of mine. We both worked for the same company that serviced the aircraft for the airforce they were air testing the aircraft at the time. The aircraft was WP779..."
Crew :
F/Lt (182538) Jack Netherwood DFC (Instructor Pilot) RAF - killed
Mr. Douglas S. Jones (Airframe Mechanic/Civilian passenger on an "air experience flight") - killed

Flight Lieutenant Jack Netherwood won his DFC on bomber ops with 106 Squadron, and was Chief Flying Instructor to the University of Birmingham Air Squadron. Less than a month later - on 20/6/54 - 5 RFS disbanded at Castle Bromwich.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.158 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 83)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.58
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WP
5. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=103172
6. https://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=252.143
7. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/nwcrashes1945-52.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Apr-2020 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Apr-2020 21:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
10-Apr-2020 21:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
10-Apr-2020 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Nature, Narrative]
11-Apr-2020 08:48	INV	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
12-Apr-2020 00:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
04-May-2021 18:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
05-May-2021 08:19	INV	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]