Date:	Tuesday 24 June 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	63 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TE243
MSN:	CBAF IX.4445
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF North Weald, North Weald Basset, Epping Forest, Essex
Destination airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon

Narrative:
Spitfire TE243: MSN CBAF IX.4445. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. To 6MU RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire 31-5-45. To 164 Squadron 19-7-46. This squadron was renumbered 63 Squadron 31-8-46 at RAF North Weald, Essex

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 24-6-47 when collided with Spitfire TE402 (also of 63 Squadron) after landing at Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon. Spitfire TE243 was landing as the number three aircraft in a three-aircraft formation. The pilot of Spitfire TE243 allowed his aircraft to overtake the formation leader (Spitfire TE402), and passed by it to port. However, the pilot failed to keep the formation leader in sight, and then became aware of the No.1 aircraft in the formation, which was now in front of him. In an attempt to avoid the formation leader, the pilot of Spitfire TE243 attempted a sharp swing to starboard, but was unable to avoid a collision

Damage initially assessed as Cat C (Repairable) 24-6-47. Not repaired, re-cat E(FA) and struck off charge 18-7-47. The other Spitfire involved, TE402, was repaired and returned to service. It was written off following a separate incident at RAF Hornchurch, Essex on 7-12-50 (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.345
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. 63 Sqn RAF ORB for 1-5-1947 to 30-6-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew): File AIR27/2427/23: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420238
5. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No. 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p111.html
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90785-te243
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TE243
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._164_Squadron_RAF#Background
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._63_Squadron_RAF#Post-war:_enter_the_jets
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Chivenor#1946%E2%80%941949

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-May-2023 20:30	Dr. John Smith	Added
14-May-2023 08:25	Nepa	Updated
31-Aug-2023 01:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated