Date:	Friday 3 September 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
Owner/operator:	612 (County of Aberdeen) Sqn RAF
Registration:	TP240
MSN:	6S 672265
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Holmside, Pelton Fell, 5 miles NW of Durham, County Durham, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland
Destination airport:

Narrative:
TP240: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S-672265. Built at Vickers Armstrong Keevil, Wiltshire, with Griffon G65 engine. Delivered to 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 23-5-45. To CFE (Central Fighter Establishment) RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex 6-9-45. Cat C accident 2-1-46. To ASTH (Airwork Service Training Hamble, Hampshire) for repairs. To A&AEE Boscombe Down 10-46 for trials of Mark IX RP (Rocket Projectiles) installation. To 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron, RAF Dyce, Aberdeen 9-1-47. Cat C accident 11-5-47 - engine damaged. Repaired (new engine) and returned to service.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 3-9-48 when flew into hill at Peartree Cottages, Holmside, Pelton Fell, 5 miles North West of Durham, County Durham. The pilot, who was out of current flying practice and had no instrument flying rating, entered cumulus-nimbus cloud whilst flying in formation at 6,500 feet. He lost control of the aircraft and it dived steeply into the ground.

Crew of Spitfire TP240
S/Ldr (33435) John CHILD (Pilot) RAF- killed in a flying accident on active service 3-9-48: Buried at Corstorphine Hill Cemetery, Corstorphine, City of Edinburgh, Scotland

Spitfire TP240 formally written off as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) and Struck Off Charge 17-9-48

Holmside is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north-west of Sacriston, and three miles south west of Pelton Fell, County Durham.

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.425
3. 612 Squadron RAF ORB for the period 16-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2116: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8423116
4. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p113.html
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TP240
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/pilots/3583-john-child
8. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/squadron-leader-john-child.35669/
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?12197-F-Lt-John-Child
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116462222/john-child
11. https://www.nelsam.org.uk/NEAR/Losses/Losses-PostWWII.htm
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._612_Squadron_RAF#Post-war:_on_Spitfires_and_Vampires
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_Airport#Early_years
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmside

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Apr-2023 16:20	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Sep-2023 19:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated