Date:	Tuesday 30 November 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	203 AFS RAF
Registration:	SL577
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1 mile east of Braunton, Appledore, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon (EGDC)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
SL577: Spitfire LF XVI. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. To 29MU RAF High Ercall, Shropshire 28-7-45. To 61OTU, RAF Keevil, Wiltshire 19-2-46. Unit became 203 AFS at RAF Keevil, Wiltshire 1-7-47. Cat C accident 9-2-48; repaired and returned to service

Written off (destroyed) 30-11-48 when collided with Spitfire TB252 (also of 203 AFS) and crashed 1 mile East of Braunton, Appledore, North Devon. Pilot bailed out, but was killed when the parachute failed to open. It was not clear if the parachute failure was due to the parachute being faulty, or if, for some reason, the pilot failed to open his parachute

Crew of Spitfire SL577:
Pilot IV Alan Penlington, RAF - killed in active service 30-11-48, buried at St. Augustine Churchyard, Heanton Punchardon, North Devon District, Devon, England

Spitfire SL577 Struck off charge as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 30-11-48. The other Spitfire involved, TB252 made a successful emergency landing back at base (RAF Chivenor); it still exists to this day! (See separate entry)

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.450
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 203 AFS ORB for the period 1-6-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1771: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101481
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/p107.html
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190811368/alan-penlington
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SL577
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90114-sl577
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/archive/17376.php
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Chivenor#1946%E2%80%941949
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunton

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Apr-2023 12:22	Dr. John Smith	Added
16-Aug-2023 16:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated