Date:	Monday 15 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Seafire FR Mk XVII
Owner/operator:	A&AEE Boscombe Down
Registration:	SX121
MSN:	WA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	N of Winterbourne Gunner, 4 miles NE of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Boscombe Down, Wiltshire (EGDM)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
SX121: Seafire FR. XVII. Built by Westland Aircraft at Yeovil, with Griffon VI engine. Taken on charge at RNDA (Royal Navy Depot Aircraft) at HMS Hornbill, RDU Culham, Oxfordshire 20-8-45. Transferred to C(A) MoS (Controller (Air) Ministry of Supply) charge, and delivered to 'C' Squadron A&AEE Boscombe Down, Wiltshire 16-10-45 for radio trials

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 14-4-46: The Seafire, piloted by Flight Lieutenant E R Ryall, swung off the runway at Boscombe Down on take-off, and the aircraft became briefly airborne. It then veered into a cable support, and was damaged beyond repair when it force-landed North of Winterbourne Gunner, 4 miles North East of Salisbury, Wiltshire, wrapped in a web of wires from the Brodie Runway Apparatus. The pilot was seriously injured

It may be recalled that the Brodie Runway Apparatus was a piece of experimental equipment that was involved in the crash of Piper L-4B Cub VM286 during unsuccessful trials on 12-2-46 (see link #8). The Brodie Apparatus was deemed a failure, largely due to that accident. It is therefore strange that the disused and unwanted Brodie equipment was left in place close to the runway at Boscombe Down, where it could pose a danger to other aircraft.

Seafire SX121 was Struck Off Charge as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) on 15-4-46, and the wreckage was transported by road to RNAY Fleetlands on 29-4-46 for accident investigation, and scrapping

The reported crash location was north of Winterbourne Gunner is a village in Wiltshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Salisbury. The village is near the River Bourne and the A338 road and is close to Winterbourne Dauntsey at approximate coordinates 51°6′ 57.6″ N, 1°44′ 34.8″ W

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Mick Burrows & Lee Howard, Air Britain)
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.125
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p104.html
4. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SX121
5. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=SX121
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/94433-sx121
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winterbourne_Gunner
8. Accident involving Piper Cub VM286: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/263959

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jul-2021 18:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jul-2021 18:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Jul-2021 18:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
21-May-2023 08:01	Nepa	Updated [[Location, Narrative]]
16-Sep-2023 13:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Location, Narrative]]]