Date:	Thursday 20 September 1951
Time:	day
Type:	North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B
Owner/operator:	1 FTS RAF
Registration:	KF902
MSN:	18-008
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Little Staughton, Cambridgeshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B KF902 [MSN 18-008]. No former USAAF Serial. First recorded in RAF Service November 1948 at 2 FTS RAF South Cerney, Gloucestershire as "FAJ-H". To 1 FTS, RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire in February 1951.

Written off (destroyed) 20 September 1951; The Harvard was being flown on a training sortie from RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire, with the mission being to practice forced landings. During a practice forced landing over the airfield at RAF Little Staughton, Cambridgeshire, the Harvard spun into the ground from an altitude of approximately 300 feet, after the pilot attempted to make a turn while the aircraft was slow flying, close to the stalling speed. The pilot was killed.

Crew of Harvbard KF902:
Pilot Officer (3131434) John Clark THORBURN (pilot) RAF - killed

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.117 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p.135)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.180
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Little_Staughton

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

24 January 1950

KF907

2 FTS RAF

0

RAF South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Feb-2021 18:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Feb-2021 18:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
10-Feb-2021 19:34	Investig	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]