Date:	Friday 7 February 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	EFS RAF
Registration:	MH880
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Winterbourne, Gloucestershire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
MH880: Spitfire LF. IX. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M63 engine. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 8-10-43. To 405ARF (Aircraft Repair Flight) 19-10-43. To 308 "City of Kraków" Polish Fighter Squadron RAF (Polish: 308 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Krakowski") RAF 27-12-43 coded 'ZF-V', where it was piloted by Flight Sergeant Wacław Korwel and damaged an Fw-190 in combat on 14-1-44.

To 80 Squadron, RAF Detling, Kent 25-5-44. Cat C (repairable) accident; repaired on site. To 229 Squadron RAF Detling, Kent 10-6-44. To AST (Airwork Service Training) Hamble Hampshire 2-1-45. To ECFS (Empire Central Flying School), RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire 7-6-45 coded 'FC-WG'. The unit was renamed the Empire Flying School on 7-5-46.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 7-2-47 when hit overhead HT cables flying low and crashed near Winterbourne Gloucestershire. The pilot was flying his Spitfire below the brief and authorised altitude at the edge of the permitted low flying area, and he allowed the aircraft to descend to a level where it collided in flight with overhead HT Power cables. The aircraft then dived into the ground, and caught fire on impact. No reported injuries to the pilot.

Struck off charge 21-3-47 as Cat. E(FA).

Winterbourne is a large village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated just beyond the north fringe of Bristol. The Civil Parish of Winterbourne is centred on the village and includes the neighbouring communities of Winterbourne Down, Hambrook and Frenchay. To the north-east is the village of Frampton Cotterell and to the west lies the new town of Bradley Stoke.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.269
4. Empire Flying School RAF ORB for the period 1-8-1944 to 30-09-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR20/1353: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1219686
5. Empire Central Flying School RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1942 to 31-5-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/628: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100337
6. RAF Write-offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 No 2: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p065.html
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MH880
9. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/46932-spitfire-ix-colour-photo/
10. https://gazingskywardmedia.com/2018/05/19/spitfire-mkixc-mh880-at-the-empire-central-flying-school-at-raf-hullavington-where-it-served-with-the-handling/
11. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MH880
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._308_Polish_Fighter_Squadron#History
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._80_Squadron_RAF#Reinstatement_and_World_War_II
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._229_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_College_of_Air_Warfare
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winterbourne,_Gloucestershire

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-May-2023 20:57	Dr. John Smith	Added
21-May-2023 21:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated
07-Sep-2023 00:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated