Date:	Thursday 4 July 1946
Time:	13:00
Type:	Hawker Tempest II
Owner/operator:	3 FP RAF
Registration:	MW813
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire
Destination airport:	RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire

Narrative:
Hawker Tempest II MW813, 3 Ferry Pool, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 4 July 1946 in a flying accident on approach to RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire.

The pilot misread the fuel gauge, and the aircraft's engine failed due to fuel starvation while on approach to land at RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. The aircraft touched down on its wheels, but short of the runway at RAF Aston Down, and was heavily damaged.

The subsequent RAF Board of Inquiry attributed the fuel starvation to a servicing error by the ground crew who had prepared the aircraft before flight. The ground crew had failed to ensure that the fuel tanks were full, although they had "signed off" the aircraft as having been refuelled with full tanks. Disciplinary action was taken against the ground crew responsible.

Tempest II MW813 was written off as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and struck off charge. The pilot was apparently unhurt.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.46 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.177
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.101: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Down#Reopening
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Maintenance_units

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Aug-2021 14:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Aug-2021 19:56	BlBe	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
18-Jun-2023 20:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]]