ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 237241
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 6 July 1956 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Supermarine Attacker FB.2 |
| Owner/operator: | 1832 (VR) Sqn FAA RN |
| Registration: | WP275 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel, off Littlehampton, West Sussex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RNAS Ford /HMS Peregrine, Yapton, West Sussex |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Supermarine Attacker FB.2 WP275, 1832 (RNVR) Squadron FAA RN (Southern Air Division) as "827/-" from 8/2/56.
Written off (destroyed) 6/7/56: Crashed into the English Channel off Littlehampton, Sussex after the starboard wing tip folded shortly after take off from RNAS Ford, (HMS Peregrine) Yapton, West Sussex. The pilot - Sub Lieutenant J F Yeates - ejected safely
In 2005 two pieces of aircraft wreckage were spotted on board the Hanson Aggregates Marine dredger "Arco Dart" within sand and gravel dredged off the coast of Worthing, Sussex. The parts were kept on board the vessel for over a year before being passed to Wessex Archeology staff during a site visit as part of the Awareness Programme.
The RAF museum at Duxford was able to match a serial number identified on one of the two parts to a rear wing spar from a plane developed by Supermarine at the end of the Second World War, the Spiteful, an intended replacement for the Spitfire. However, very few of this type of plane were manufactured after the design was rejected by the RAF in favour of the new jet powered Gloster Meteor and de Havilland Vampire.
Supermarine's first attempt at a jet powered fighter, the Attacker, kept the same wing as the Spiteful and, although the design was rejected by the RAF, 143 were built for the Royal Navy. The Attacker entered service as the first jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm and several were lost at sea.
The most likely match for the parts found on the "Arco Dart" is the Attacker WP275 which crashed into the sea on the 6th July 1956 after taking off from Royal Naval Air Station Ford, in Sussex when the wing tip folded and the pilot ejected. The pilot, Sub-Lieutenant J. F. Yeates of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, survived unharmed
Sources:
1. Ray Sturtivant et al: Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Air Britain 2004 p 568)
2. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1956.htm
3. https://blogs.wessexarch.co.uk/aircraftcrashsitesatsea/recovered-from-the-sea-1/
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WP
5. https://bmapa.org/documents/arch_pro%20report05_06.pdf p.9
6. https://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/industry-news/dredging_discovery_of_plane_crash_sites
7. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
8. https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/2000s/2007/navy-news-november-2007-issue-640.pdf p.13
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Jun-2020 19:08 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 05-Feb-2021 16:44 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation