Date:	Friday 1 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	218 MU RAF
Registration:	RF326
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire (EGUO)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III, RF326, 218 MU (Maintenance Unit) RAF: Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract 239/SAS/C4 (c). Last aircraft of an order for 105 Lancasters, serials RF198 to RF326. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 1 March 1946 in a take-off accident at RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire.

According to the Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78), the history of Lancaster RF326 was as follows...

23 May 1945: Delivered to the RAF from Armstrong Whitworth, Baginton, and taken on charge at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire
15 October 1945: To Cunliffe-Owen, Southampton, Hampshire for modifications.
7 January 1946: Returned to RAF charge at 218 MU, RAF Colerne
1 March 1946: FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) - the aircraft's ASI (Air Speed Indicators) failed during the take-off run as part of an air test. The pilot therefore abandoned the take-off, closed the throttles, and intentionally raised the undercarriage in order to facilitate an emergency stop. The Lancaster then skidded along the runway on its belly, causing severe damage to the underside of the airframe
2 April 1946: Struck Off charge, and sold as scrap to R J Coley, Hounslow, Middlesex

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.86
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.96: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. 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
7. Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78) for Lancaster RF326: http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/RF295-RF326/mobile/index.html
8. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/rfseries/RF326
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunliffe-Owen_Aircraft#WW2
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Colerne#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Jun-2021 18:11	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-Jun-2021 18:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Phase]
18-Jun-2021 20:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-Jun-2021 20:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
22-Jun-2021 12:14	TB	Updated [Operator, Operator]
12-Jul-2023 18:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Operator]]