Date:	Tuesday 30 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	17 SFTS RAF
Registration:	TB862
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1/2-mile South of Digby, North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Digby, Scopwick, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Digby, Scopwick, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
TB862: Spitfire LF.XVI. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 33 MU Lyneham 20-2-45. First issued for service to 421 (Canadian) Squadron RCAF 5-4-45 as "AU-C". Squadron was based at ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) B.78, Eindhoven, Netherlands at the time. Presumably stored after 421 (Canadian) Squadron disbanded 10-7-45 at ALG B.174 Utersen, Germany. Next issued for service to 17 SFTS, RAF Digby, Scopwick, Lincolnshire 11-2-46

Written off (destroyed) 30-4-46: mid-air collision with Spitfire RK849 near RAF Digby, Scopwick, North Kesteven, Lincolnshire. During formation flying practice, Spitfire TB862 was struck, and was badly damaged, by Spitfire RK849 (also of 17 SFTS). The pilot - Flight Lieutenant J P F Tate - bailed out safely, and parachuted to earth. Spitfire TB862 was destroyed when it dived into the ground half a mile south of Digby village, Lincolnshire

Damage immediately assessed as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 30-4-46, and formally Struck Off Charge 14-5-46. The other Spitfire involved, RK849, only sustained Cat. A damage, and was repaired and returned to service. (Finally Struck Off Charge 8-3-48)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.39 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.128
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/p109.html
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TB862
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90616-tb862
9. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-1949-incident-logs.php#1946
10. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TB862
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._421_Squadron_RCAF#Second_World_War
12. https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/history/rcaf-and-the-crucible-of-war/421-squadron/
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digby,_Lincolnshire

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Jul-2021 12:54	Dr. John Smith	Added
14-Jul-2021 21:28	Don Diego	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]
29-Jun-2023 21:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]]
16-Sep-2023 12:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]]]