Date:	Tuesday 7 May 1946
Time:	15:15 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	16 FU RAF
Registration:	RE225
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Dunkeswell, near Honiton, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon (EGTU)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III RE225, 16 FU (Ferry Unit), RAF; Written off (destroyed) 7 May 1946 in a take-off accident at RAF Dunkeswell, 5 miles North of Honiton, Devon.

During the take-off run, the pilot realised that the airspeed indicator was not working, and so he abandoned the takeoff, and the aircraft belly landed on the airfield. Although the aircraft was completely wrecked, and broken into a least three pieces (see photo link #5), the crew appear to have escaped uninjured.

The RAF used Dunkeswell airfield from August 1945 to April 1946 for ferrying aircraft to the Middle East by 16 Ferry Unit, RAF Transport Command. After September 1946 the station was put on care and maintenance status until the end of 1948, when it was sold by the Ministry of Defence.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.41. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain,1992)
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.138
5. Photo of wreckage post-accident: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1334418
6. https://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_prod_avro2.htm
7. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.99: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
8. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/reseries/re225
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ferry_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkeswell_Aerodrome#History

RAF Dunkeswell 22 April 1944 (USAAF/Public Domain)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jul-2021 17:05	Dr. John Smith	Added
15-Jul-2021 20:06	Siczak	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator]