Date:	Friday 8 April 1949
Time:	night
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/operator:	201 AFS RAF
Registration:	RP552
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Vickers Wellington Mk. X RP553 of 201 AFS, RAF Swinderby: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 8 April 1949 when belly landed at RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshre.

The pilot, who had only 17 hours of flying experience on Vickers Wellingtons, took off on a dark night for a series of solo practice takeoffs, circuits, and landings. However, he neglected to set the aircraft's propellors to "fine pitch", and therefore the engines did not develop full power. After one of the engines failed on final approach, a wheels-up landing was made in a field adjacent to RAF Swinderby, and the aircraft was severely damaged.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings - A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p 490
3. 201 AFS ORB for the period 1-4-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1989/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162797
4. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1949
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Swinderby#History

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