Date:	Thursday 12 July 1951
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Sea Fury TF Mk 10
Owner/operator:	Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS)
Registration:	TF897
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Hawker Sea Fury TF.Mk.10 TF897: Third production Sea Fury, of the first production batch of 50 (TF895-TF928, and TF940-TF955). To CS(A) (Controller Supplies (Aircraft)) charge at Hawker Aircraft, Langley, Berkshire on 25/9/1947 for Trials Installations of larger elevator and tailplane. To "C" Squadron, A&AEE Boscombe Down, Wiltshire 27/4/1948 for short term-loan (brief handling trails of larger elevator and taiplane). Returned to Hawker Aircraft at Langley on 28/4/1948.

To RAE Farnborough, Hampshire 20/10/1948 for Trials of TR-1501 radio installation. To ETPS (Empire Test Pilots School) at Farnborough from 23/12/1948. Sustained minor damage (Cat.2(R)) 13/4/1950 when struck the ground in a "hard" landing at Farnborough; port wing tip, undercarriage oleo leg and propeller blades damaged. Repaired and returned to service.

Further Cat.2(R) damage 21/3/1951 when struck the ground once more during landing at Farnborough. Repaired and rerturned to service.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 12/7/1951 on test flight. Purpose of flight: Investigating trim changes with different speed and power settings. Aircraft sustained engine failure, stalled on approach to RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex, and disintegrated on impact with the ground. The pilot was killed.

Crew of Sea Fury TF897:
Flt Lt (184367) Robert Beattie CONNELL DFC (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 12/7/1951

Sea Fury TF897 was designated Cat.5(c) on 1/8/1951, and Struck Off Charge as RSP (authorised to be reduced to spares and produce).

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004, p.353)
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 158
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=212
5. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38181/supplement/485/data.pdf
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/20459.php .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Feb-2021 22:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Feb-2021 13:12	Investig	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
04-Feb-2021 18:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Aug-2021 20:17	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]