Date:	Wednesday 16 February 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	20 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RW385
MSN:	CBAF IX.4643
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Cardigan Bay, off Harlech, Merionethshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales
Destination airport:	RAF Valley, Anglesey

Narrative:
RW385: Spitfire LF.XVI MSN CBAF IX.4643. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 13-7-45. Issued to 631 Squadron, RAF Llanbedr coded '6D-E', 11-8-45. To 20 Squadron RAF Valley, Anglesey 11-2-49 when squadron renumbered

Written off (destroyed) 16-2-49 in mid-air collision with Spitfire SL614 (also of 20 Squadron, RAF) and crashed into Cardigan Bay off Harlech, Merionethshire. This aircraft and Spitfire SL614 were part of a two aircraft formation making an authorised mock attack on a NA Harvard T.2b. However, the formation leader had not pre-briefed the formation as to how the two aircraft could carry out the mock attack, and during the manoeuvre the two aircraft collided. The Pilot of Spitfire SL614 was killed, pilot of Spitfire RW385 bailed out and survived.

Struck off charge as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E2) 16-2-49

From 11-2-1949 to 30-9-1951, 20 Squadron was reformed from No 631 Squadron at RAF Llanbedr flying a variety of aircraft in the Anti-Aircraft Cooperation role, providing targets for AAA guns and simulating attacks on ground troops for their training. It moved to RAF Valley in July 1949, disbanding in September 1951

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 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.476
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 631 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-46 to 31-1-49: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2529: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505167
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p098.html
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90073-rw385
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RW385
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._631_Squadron_RAF
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._20_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War_(1945-1970)
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardigan_Bay
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanbedr_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Apr-2023 12:00	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Aug-2023 00:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated