Date:	Thursday 16 December 1948
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVI
Owner/operator:	695 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TB572
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Detling, Detling, 4 miles North-East of Maidstone, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Horsham St Faith, Norwich, Norfolk
Destination airport:	RAF Detling, Maidstone, Kent

Narrative:
TB572: Spitfire LF XVI. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to 6 MU RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire 20-2-45. Issued to 63 Squadron, RAF North Weald, Essex 22-3-48. To 695 Squadron RAF Horsham St Faith, Norwich, Norfolk 28-4-48

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 16-12-48 when engine cut on approach, due to the magneto distributor having a crack in its casing, causing electrical arcing and sparking. The pilot successfully carried out a wheels-up landing at RAF Detling, 4 miles North-East of Maidstone, Kent

Damage initially assessed as Cat C (Repairable) 16-12-48. However, repairs not proceeded with, and instead Spitfire TB572 was Struck Off Charge 17-1-49 as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E)

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.474
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 695 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-1-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2546: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505184
5. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p108.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TB572
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TB572
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90532-tb572
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._695_Squadron_RAF
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Detling#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Apr-2023 15:04	Dr. John Smith	Added
14-Aug-2023 19:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated