ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 310163
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| Date: | Thursday 24 March 1949 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire LF. IXe |
| Owner/operator: | Advanced Flying School Belgische Luchtmacht |
| Registration: | SM-4 |
| MSN: | PL190 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Brustem/Sint-Truiden Air Base, Brustem, Limburg -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Brustem/Sint-Truiden Air Base, Brustem, Limburg, Belgium (EBST) |
PL190: Spitfire LF. IX, built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. To 8MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 12-6-44. To 329 (GC I/2 'Cicognes') (Free French) Squadron RAF coded '5A-S' 29-6-44. The squadron joined No. 415 Wing RAF Free French units of 2nd Tactical Air Force on 14-4-44 and provided cover for the D Day landings in Normandy on the following June (6-6-44). At this stage, its commanding officer was Lieutenant-colonel (Wing commander) Fleurquin. In August 1944, it moved to Sommervieu, near Bayeux in Normandy, under the command of Capitaine (Flight lieutenant) Ozann. Spitfire PL190 was damaged during armed recce to Walcheren, Zeeland, Netherlands on 30-10-44. Damage assessed as Cat C (Repairable)
Next reported with 129 Squadron at RAF Lubeck, West Germany 11-6-46. The squadron was based at Lubeck between 2-5-46 and 28-6-46 with the Spitfire IXe. At RAF Church Fenton on 1-9-46 the squadron was renumbered to No. 257 Squadron.
Struck off RAF charge upon sale to Belgian Air Force (Belgische Luchtmacht) 17-8-47 as SM-4. In accordance with the "Anglo/Belgian Agreements" of 4-12-46, 28 Spitfire LF. IX fighters (SM-1 to SM-28) were acquired from wartime RAF surplus stocks. These aircraft were to provide advanced combat training for future fighter pilots. As of August 1947, the first of these aircraft entered service with the Advanced Flying School (VVS or EPA) at Brustem airbase. Due to a high attrition rate (Belgium did not use two-seater Spitfire's as did the Irish and Royal Netherlands Air Force) it was necessary to order some additional aircraft
One of the aircraft written off (damaged beyond repair) was SM-4 on 24-3-49 when it crashed on take-off due engine failure at Brustem/Sint-Truiden Air Base, Brustem, Limburg, Belgium (EBST).
Sources:
1. https://www.belgian-wings.be/supermarine-spitfire-lf-ixc-e
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p086.html
3. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PL190
4. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/86961-pl190
5. Photo of accident: https://www.belgian-wings.be/supermarine-spitfire-lf-ixc-e/sm-04
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._329_Squadron_RAF#RAF_service
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._129_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck_Airport#Early_years
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Truiden_/_Brustem_Airfield#Postwar/current_use
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Apr-2023 06:38 | Peter Ziegler | Added |
| 03-Jun-2023 16:59 | Peter Ziegler | Updated |
| 11-Aug-2023 09:38 | Nepa | Updated |
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