Date:	Friday 27 August 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 21
Owner/operator:	602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn RAF
Registration:	LA279
MSN:	SMAF.4412
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	HMS Sanderling/RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Sanderling /RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrew
Destination airport:	HMS Sanderling /RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrew

Narrative:
Spitfire LA279: MSN SMAF4412. Built at Vickers Armstrong South Marston, Swindon, Wiltshire with Griffon G61 engine. Test flown by F/Lt Loweth (Vickers Armstrong South Marston) for 25 minutes on 5-6-45 (possibly first flight?). Delivered to 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire by Flying Officer Robins of the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) on 18-6-45. To 91 Squadron, RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire coded 'DL-U' 26-9-45. To 1 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, West Sussex 10-10-46. To 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, HMS Sanderling/RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire, Scotland in April 1947.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 28-8-48 when dropped starboard wing on overshoot, hit ground and crash-landed at HMS Sanderling/RNAS Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Pilot survived uninjured. Damage initially assessed as Cat. C (Repairable). To Vickers Armstrongs, South Marston for repairs. Not repaired, re-cat E 3-3-49 and struck off charge

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.423
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. ORB 602 Squadron RAF from 1-6-1946 to 28-2-1957: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2505: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505143
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/p054.html
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79475-la279
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/LA279
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._91_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1_Squadron_RAF#Post-War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._602_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Airport#1940

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Aug-2023 00:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated