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Date: | Tuesday 16 October 1951 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Fairey Firefly Mk 5 |
Owner/operator: | 719 Sqn FAA RN |
Registration: | VT438 |
MSN: | F.8338 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Lough Foyle, near HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland |
Destination airport: | HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Fairey Firefly Mk.5 VT438: Delivered to the FAA RN (Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy) 5/7/48 to RNAS Culham RDU. First issued for service 17/7/48 to 812 Squadron FAA RN, at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, coded "211/O". Damaged 30/9/48 when caught No 10 wire and entered barrier during DLT (Deck Landing Training) on board HMS Ocean (Pilot - Lieutenant Commander I.D. Roberts, RN - uninjured). Damaged again 13/10/48 During DLT, caught arrestor wire but landed heavily and port undercarriage collapsed. (Same pilot as before - Lieutenant Commander I.D. Roberts).
On 1/4/49 Returned to UK on HMS TRIUMPH for repairs. By July 1949 with Fairey Aviation, at Ringway Airport, Manchester, to fit power folding wings. Transferred to the RNAS (Royal Australian Navy) upon completion of work, and issued 25/4/50 to 817 Squadron, HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, Padstow, Cornwall until at least 31/7/1950.
Returned to FAA RN charge and by January 1951 at RNARY (Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard) at RNAS Fleetlands, Hampshire. Returned to FAA RN service in July 1951 with 737 Squadron, HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 16/10/51: Engine failed and aircraft ditched into Lough Foyle, near HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland. Pilot - Lieutenant Commander J.R. Hone and un-named crew rescued by HMS Gannet's Air Sea Rescue helicopter within 5 minutes.
23/10/51 SOC
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.266)
2.
https://www.faaaa.asn.au/fairey-firefly-aircraft-histories/ 3.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT 4.
http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n1.htm 5. Photo of crash 13/10/1948:
https://www.docdroid.net/hNyZC3m/its-a-poor-sailor-i-am-fourth-draft-pdf#page=49 Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
19-Sep-2020 21:47 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
20-Sep-2020 14:59 |
TB |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |