Date:	Tuesday 6 February 1951
Time:	day
Type:	Bristol Beaufighter TT Mk X
Owner/operator:	34 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RD544
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Kelling, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Banner and glider towing
Departure airport:	RAF Horsham St.Faith, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Beaufighter RD544: Written off (destroyed) 06/02/1951. On a banner target towing sortie from RAF Horsham St. Faith, Norwich, Norfolk, the pilot reported that he had experienced engine trouble, and was returning to base. After cutting loose the target drogue that the Beaufighter was towing, at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet, the aircraft dived into the ground.
It appears that the pilot lost control of his aircraft when he allowed the airspeed to decay below stalling speed, and the aircraft dived into the ground at Kelling, Norfolk. Two of the crew crew were killed, one survived with severe injuries.
Crew of Beaufighter RD544:
F/Sgt Stanley John WATSON (pilot) RAF - killed 6/2/1951
AC1 Rex CHAPMAN (Target Drogue Winch Operator) RAF - killed 6/2/1951
AC1 Charles RUSSELL (TTOp) RAF - survived with injuries

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.111 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.113
4. 34 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 30/11/1954: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2607/3 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8423965
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._34_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelling

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jan-2021 21:18	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Jan-2021 22:09	MuDr.Roup	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator]
11-Jan-2021 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
31-Jan-2021 18:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]