Date:	Thursday 28 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVIe
Owner/operator:	17 SFTS RAF
Registration:	SM309
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Harlaxton, Harlaxton, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Wellingore, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Harlaxton, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
SM309: Spitfire LF.XVI. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 266 engine. Delivered to the RAF and taken on charge 45 MU 6-11-44 at RAF Kinloss, Morayshire. First issued to 421 Squadron RCAF 28-12-44 coded "AU-H", based at ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) B.56, Evere, Belgium. Flown by Flight Lieutenant Richard “Hap” Beall, and named "Panama Bound". Original aircraft was a Mk. XVIe with clipped wings, broad chord rudder and 20mm/.50 calibre armament. Cat C (Repairable) damage on ops 15-3-45. To 410 RSU (Repair & Servicing Unit) for repairs. To 17 FTS, RAF Wellingore, Lincolnshire 11-2-46

Damaged when engine failed, and made a wheels-up landing at RAF Harlaxton, Harlaxton, near Grantham, Lincolnshire 28-3-46. Engine failure attributed to a broken connecting rod in one of the cylinders. Damage initially assessed as FACB (Flying Accident Cat. B). Not repaired, re-cat FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and Struck Off Charge 23-5-46.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.28 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.36
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 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
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.98: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p100.html
7. https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3301686/
8. http://www.historicalwings.com/?page_id=1173
9. http://www.gaetanmarie.com/the-spitfire-mk-xvi-in-the-dominions/
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=SM309
11. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90275-sm309
12. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SM309
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._421_Squadron_RCAF#Second_World_War
14. https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/history/rcaf-and-the-crucible-of-war/421-squadron/
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Harlaxton

Supermarine Spitfire IX NH188 wearing the markings of 421 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force at the Canadian Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe Airport, Ottawa. Note code "AU-H" which was originally worn by Spitfire SM309

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Jun-2021 20:47	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-Jun-2021 09:00	Schneck	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Embed code, Operator]
05-Jul-2023 19:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Embed code, Operator]]
16-Sep-2023 14:44	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Embed code, Operator]]]