Date:	Monday 1 July 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	1687 (BDT) Flt RAF
Registration:	W3439
MSN:	EA.1827
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire (EGXP)
Destination airport:	RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire (EGXB)

Narrative:
W3439: Spitfire Vb MSN EA.1827. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh with Merlin 45M engine. First Flight 28-6-41. Delivered to the RAF at 6 MU Brize Norton 1-7-41. First issued to 92 Squadron, RAF Biggin Hill, Kent 10-7-41 as "QJ-K". W3439 was a "presentation" (sponsored) aircraft named KAAPSTAD IV" (Cape Town). Sergeant G P Hickman was injured in a forced landing at New Downs Farm, on return from operational flight, due to enemy action in Spitfire W3439 of 92 Squadron, 7-8-41. To 19 Squadron 25-2-42 as "QV-J". FACB (Flying Accident Cat. B) 25-6-42. To 401 ("City of Westmount") Squadron, RCAF 12-3-43 after repairs. Aircraft based at RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire.

To 416 Squadron ("City of Oshawa") RCAF 3-6-43. To 19 Squadron (again) 7-6-43. To 322 (Netherlands) Squadron 20-7-43, RAF Woodvale, Southport as "VL-D". FACB (Flying Accident Cat. B) 24-8-43. Struck Off Charge 31-8-43 as Cat. E. Re-cat B and sent to Airwork Service Training for repairs/rebuild. Transferred to the USAAF 7-5-44. FAAC (Flying Accident Cat. C) 21-8-44. Repaired on site. To 1687 (Bomber Defence Training) Flight, RAF Binbrook 4-4-45 as "4D-U"

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 1-7-46 when overshot at Binbrook and tipped onto nose. On approach to RAF Binbrook, the pilot was instructed by ATC (Air Traffic Control) not to land on the main runway, but instead to land on the 'light aircraft strip', which was a short grass airstrip. After landing, the pilot turned the aircraft at the end of the strip, to avoid an aircraft parked at a dispersal point. He then applied the brakes, harshly, Spitfire W3439 stopped suddenly, and tipped up onto its nose.

Damage initially assessed as FACC (Flying Accident Cat. C) 1-7-46 and therefore repairable. However, re-cat FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 9-7-46 and Struck Off Charge

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.45 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.175
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p012.html
4. 1687 (Bomber Defence Training) Flight ORB for the period 1-12-44 to 31-10-46: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/882/4 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162039
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.101: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1946
7. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/98522-1687-b-d-t-flight-raf-scampton
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/W3439
9. Accident 7-8-41: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR81/8153: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16757450
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._19_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/401_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron#1942%E2%80%9344
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/416_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron#History
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._322_(Dutch)_Squadron_RAF
15. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/94998-w3439
16. http://www.gaetanmarie.com/presentation-spitfires/
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Binbrook

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Jul-2021 20:50	Dr. John Smith	Added
01-Aug-2021 09:04	Opickt	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]
15-Sep-2023 11:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]]