Date:	Friday 22 February 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	218 MU RAF
Registration:	RF317
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire (EGUO)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III, RF317, 218 MU (Maintenance Unit) RAF: Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract 239/SAS/C4 (c). Written off (damaged beyond repair) 22 February 1946 in a taxiing accident at RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire.

According to the Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78), the history of Lancaster RF317 was as follows...

17 May 1945: Delivered ex-Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft, Baginton, Coventry to the RAF at 15 MU RAF Woughton, Wiltshire, and taken on charge
10 November 1945: To Cunliffe-Owen, Southampton, Hampshire for modifications.
14 January 1946: Returned to RAF charge at 218 MU, RAF Chippenham, Wiltshire.
22 February 1946: FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) - The pilot applied differential braking in order to navigate around a sharp corner; however, during this manoeuvre, the aircraft suffered a partial collapse of the undercarriage due to a defective mainwheel axle.
3 March 1946: Transferred to CRD(Air) MoS (Controller Research & Development (Air) Ministry of Supply) and taken on charge by A. V. Roe for repairs on site at RAF Colerne by a Contractors Working Party.
8 March 1946: Downgraded to Cat. E, and repairs not proceeded with.
2 April 1946: Struck Off Charge as Cat. E

218 MU (Maintenance Unit), RAF was formed at RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire on 1-3-42, and was disbanded there on 29-2-48.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.33. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain,1992, p.8)
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 120)
4. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.79
5. 218 MU RAF ORB for the period 1-3-42 to 29-2-48: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1062/2 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162491
6. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/rfseries/RF317
7. http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/RF295-RF326/mobile/index.html
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RF317
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Colerne#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Jun-2021 18:20	Dr. John Smith	Added
16-Jun-2021 19:55	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
18-Jun-2021 18:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
13-Jul-2023 12:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]