Date:	Thursday 23 November 1961
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Firefly U Mk 9
Owner/operator:	728B Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	VT413
MSN:	F.8313
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Mediterranean Sea, off RNAS Hal Far. -   Malta
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Falcon, RNAS Hal Far, Malta
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Firefly U.9 Drone: Delivered to Fairey Aircraft Ltd., Ringway Airport, Manchester 9/12/1955 for conversion from Firefly FR.5 to U.9 drone. First flown as a Firefly U.9 on 22/10/1956 at Ringway Airport, Manchester. Delivered to the RAE at Llanbedr in July 1957. Returned to Fairey Aircraft at Ringway 14/8/1957, and display by them at the SBAC Show at Farnborough early September 1957. Delivered to Short Brothers & Harland Ltd at RAE Llanbedr 16/12/1957.

Presumably damaged at RAE Llanbedr at some point in early in 1958, as Cat.4 damaged, and returned to Fairey Aircraft at Ringway for repairs 9/6/1958. Upon completion of repairs, ferried to HMS Heron, RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester, Somerset 13/10/1960 for ferry/delivery flight to Malta. Arrived at HMS Falcon, RNAS Hal Far, Malta, 17/10/1960 and issued to 728B Squadron FAA RN coded "597/HF".

Written off (destroyed) 23/11/1961; Destroyed when shot down by a Supermarine Scimitar from HMS Ark Royal and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, off Hal Far, Malta.

Formally Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ on 23/11/1961. Total flying time on airframe as a Firefly U.9: 61.25 hours.

Note: Two Firefly U.9s were shot down on 23/11/1961 - VT413 and VT430. One was shot down by a Sea Vixen from HMS Centaur and one by a Supermarine Scimitar from HMS Ark Royal. However, available records do not clearly state which aircraft was shot down by the Sea Vixen, and which by the Scimitar, so it is presumed (but not confirmed) that the Sea Vixen shot down VT430, and the Scimitar shot down Firefly VT413

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.264)
2. http://www.aviationinmalta.com/MilitaryAviation/AccidentsMilitary/19601969/tabid/652/language/en-US/Default.aspx
3. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
4. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fairey_firefly_U9.html
5. Firefly VT413 (brand new!) at RNAS Culham RFU 24/4/1948: https://www.airhistory.net/photo/202400/VT413

Fairey Firefly VT413 at HMS Nuthatch, RNAS Anthorn, Cumberland 28-4-1948 (note serial "VT41" on wing and "3" on undercarriage door):

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2020 16:35	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Sep-2020 20:55	AlLach	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]
12-Sep-2020 20:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
12-Sep-2020 20:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]