Date:	Wednesday 20 June 1951
Time:	day
Type:	North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B
Owner/operator:	CFS RAF
Registration:	FS884
MSN:	14A-1024
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B 43-12725 (MSN 14A-1024) Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FS884. To No 2 Flying Instructor School, Montrose, Scotland April 1945. To No 7 Flying Instructor School, Upavon, Pewsey, Wiltshire July 1945. Central Flying School, Little Rissington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire May 1946

Written off (destroyed by fire) 20 June 1951 at RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in a non-flying accident. The starboard fuel tank had been drained prior to its removal, and the fuel gauge disconnected. However, there was still a small residue of petrol fumes in the cockpit. An airman was cleaning out the cockpit area, and adjusted the position of his lamp to improve visibility. The electrical lead to the lamp was exposed slightly, and this led to a short circuit, which generated a spark when the exposed bare wires touched a metallic fitting in the cockpit. This was enough to ignite the petrol fumes, and cause an explosion and fire in the starboard wing fuel tank.

No fatalities ensued, but an airman working under the wing, Junior Technician D M Short was injured. Harvard FS884 was burnt, and deemed "damaged beyond economic repair" due to the extent of the fire damage to the airframe

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.115 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. The Harvard File (John F. Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.149
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
5. https://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
6. http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/crashes1950-88.htm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Moreton-in-Marsh

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Jan-2021 16:43	Dr. John Smith	Added
31-Jan-2021 20:10	Pink	Updated [Operator, Operator]