Date:	Friday 29 November 1946
Time:
Type:	North American Harvard T.2B
Owner/operator:	3 FTS RAF
Registration:	FT386
MSN:	14A-1426
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Downham Market, Bexwell, Downham Market, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Feltwell, Thetford, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Ex-USAAF 43-13127 (MSN 14A-1426) Delivered to RAF as Harvard IIb FT386. To 12 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit August 1944. To 21 Group Communications Flight, Cranwell, Lincolnshire December 1944. Damaged when the right landing gear retracted whilst the aircraft was taxying after landing at RAF Spitalgate, Grantham, Lincolnshire 27 February 1945. To 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School, Newton, Nottinghamshire April 1945. To 3 Service Flying Training School, South Cerney, Gloucestershire January 1946. Moved with unit to RAF Feltwell, Norfolk 24 April 1946.

Written off (destroyed) 29 November 1946 when crashed at RAF Downham Market, Bexwell Lane, Bexwell, Downham Market, Norfolk. The aircraft hit the ground in a shallow dive, and broke apart on impact. One of the two crew on board was killed
Crew Harvard FT386:
Pilot IV (3040757) Anthony Charles Taylor (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 20-12-46.
Buried at St. Johns the Evangelist Churchyard, Moor Allerton, West Yorkshire

The subsequent Board of Inquiry determined that the main cause of the crash was pilot error. Neither the pilot nor his unauthorised passenger was flying the aircraft at the moment of impact. Both thought that the other was in control, and due to a lack of communication between the two on board, the aircraft crashed due to no one being in control of the aircraft. In addition, the pilot disobeyed his instructions as to carrying a passenger, and flying the sortie in the manner that he did

With the end of the war No. 3 (P) AFU was redesignated No. 3 SFTS again on 17 December 1945 and was now equipped with North American Harvards. On 24 April 1946 the school moved to RAF Feltwell and on 9 April 1947, its title reverted to No. 3 FTS and continued to operate from RAF Feltwell until 31 May 1958 by which time it was using the Percival Provost T.1.

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.251
3. The Harvard File (John F. Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.104: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. 3 SFTS RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1812: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101522
6. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2409338/anthony-charles-taylor/
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=44501
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141815066/anthony-charles-taylor
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._3_Flying_Training_School_RAF#Second_formation
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Downham_Market

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-May-2023 08:27	Nepa	Updated