Date:	Monday 24 January 1949
Time:	day
Type:	North American Harvard T Mk 2B
Owner/operator:	602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn RAF
Registration:	FT141
MSN:	14A-1181
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	River Cart, 1 mile NE of HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrew -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrew
Destination airport:	HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire

Narrative:
Ex-USAAF 43-12882 (MSN 14A-1181) Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FT141. To 17 Service Flying Training School, Wellingore, Lincolnshire October 1944. To 1 Flying Training School June 1947. To 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire July 1947.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 24 January 1949 when crashed into the River Cart near HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrew, Glasgow. The pilot, who was not familiar with the controls of the North American Harvard T.2b, particularly with regard to the carburettor heating system controls, took off from RNAS Abbotsinch in poor weather conditions

Having failed to set the gyro compass, the pilot could not locate the airfield he had taken off from, but subsequently found it again. While in the circuit for a final approach and landing back at RNAS Abbotsinch, the engine failed due to the carburettor icing up

The pilot then initiated an immediate emergency "engine out" landing at RNAS Abbotsinch, but overshot on approach and ended up in the River Cart approximately one mile north east of the airfield. When the Harvard came to a halt, the pilot released his seat belt, extracted himself from the wreckage of Harvard FT141, and swam ashore. He seems to have escaped from the incident largely unscathed, although very wet!

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.59. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 467
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft FA100-FZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988, p 97)
5. 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-1946 to 28-2-1957: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2505: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505143
6. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Cart
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Airport#1940

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Apr-2023 21:18	Dr. John Smith	Added