Date:	Thursday 21 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	North American AT-16 Harvard T.2B
Owner/operator:	17 SFTS RAF
Registration:	FT269
MSN:	14A-1309
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Spitalgate, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Spitalgate, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Spitalgate, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Noorduyn AT-16-ND: Ex-USAAF 43-13010 (MSN 14A-1309) Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FT269. Delivered to Canada; no RAF service in Canada. Shipped to UK May 1944. To 17 Service Flying Training School, Wellingore, Lincolnshire August 1944.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 21 March 1946 on approach to RAF Spitalgate, near Grantham, Lincolnshire. During the approach, one of the wing fuel tanks ran dry, and the pilot should have therefore switched to the fuel tank in the other wing. However, he failed to do this, and the engine then failed due to fuel starvation. The Harvard then made an 'engine out' forced landing in a field short of the runway at RAF Spitalgate. The Danish Air Force pilot escaped with only minor injuries.

Crew of Harvard FT269:
Lieutenant Gras, Royal Danish Air Force - survived with minor injuries

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft FA100-FZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.34. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.100
4. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p.99)
5. 17 SFTS ORB (Operations Record Book) for the period 1-2-20 to 31-12-49: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/699 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100408
6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
8. https://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1946
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Spitalgate#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jun-2021 22:03	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Jun-2021 22:15	Newton	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
07-Jul-2023 13:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Location, Operator]]