Date:	Thursday 28 February 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Owner/operator:	58 OTU RAF
Registration:	MA579
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Priston, 1 mile north of Dunkerton, Somerset, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Poulton, Cheshire (X4PL)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MA579: Spitfire IX. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 63 engine. First issued to 421 Squadron RCAF, RAF Redhill, 26-6-43 as "AU-K". FAAC (Flying Accident Cat. C) 24-10-43, cracks in engine bearers, repaired on site. Pilot Flying Officer A R Mackenzie (RCAF) safe. Next issued to 274 Squadron RAF Detling, Maidstone, Kent 15-5-44 as JJ-W. To DeHavilland 11-7-44 for propeller modifications. To 58 OTU RAF Poulton, Cheshire on or by 15-3-45. Another FAAC (Flying Accident Cat. C) 30-4-45, again repaired on site

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 28-2-46 when engine cut, and aircraft belly-landed near Priston, one mile north of Dunkerton, Somerset. The cause of the engine failure was fuel starvation due to a faulty fuel pump. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 28-2-46. The pilot - Warrant Officer K A F Edden - escaped successfully from the damaged aircraft.

58 OTU RAF was formed at RAF Poulton on 15-3-45, equipped with Supermarine Spitfires. It was part of 12 Group and RAF Poulton was used as a satellite of RAF Hawarden. Disbanded 20-7-46 at RAF Poulton.

The reported crash location was near Priston, a civil parish and village 4 miles (6 km) south west of Bath in Bath and North East Somerset, which is within the English ceremonial county of Somerset. The parish includes the hamlet of Wilmington. Dunkerton is a small village in the civil parish of Dunkerton and Tunley, 4 miles (6.4 km) north east of Radstock, and 5 miles (8.0 km) south west of Bath, in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset, England

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. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.85
3. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999
4. Wings Over Somerset: Aircraft Crashes since the End of World War II by Peter Forrester
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.96: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Operational_Training_Units
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=%20MA579
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/84317-ma579
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MA579
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._421_Squadron_RCAF#Second_World_War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._274_Squadron_RAF#History
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Poulton
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priston
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkerton,_Somerset

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Jun-2021 21:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jun-2021 07:59	Repace	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Nature, Operator]
18-Jun-2021 23:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
12-Jul-2023 19:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source]]
13-Jul-2023 08:11	Nepa	Updated [[[Source]]]
17-Sep-2023 16:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Source]]]]