Date:	Monday 6 July 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Anson C Mk 19
Owner/operator:	31 Sqn RAF
Registration:	VP538
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Norton Main Farm, Ratho, Midlothian, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, Lothian
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Anson C.19 VP538/"CB-V", 31 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6/7/1953 in a take off accident at RAF Turnhouse, Midlothian.

The Anson took off normally from RAF Turnhouse, and, upon reaching lift-off speed, the aircraft began to climb away from the runway. After climbing to an altitude of 200 feet, the port engine began to surge violently, making the aircraft difficult to control. The pilot then feathered the port engine, but could not maintain altitude on just one engine, and therefore decided to make an immediate straight-ahead forced landing. During the forced landing, the aircraft flew through some telephone wires, and collided with some cattle in a field at Norton Main Farm, Ratho, Midlothian.

Although the aircraft was wrecked (deemed "damaged beyond economic repair") as far as is known, there were no fatalities to the pilot.

Ratho (Scottish Gaelic: Ràthach) is a village in the Rural West Edinburgh area of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is approximately three miles (on foot) to the south west of RAF Turnhouse

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.146 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.385
4. The Anson File (Ray Sturtivant, Air Britain, 1988 p 142)
5. A Goldstar Century: 31 Squadron RAF, 1915–2015 By Ian Hall
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VP
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratho

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-May-2021 15:27	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-May-2021 21:27	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]