Date:	Friday 6 September 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF. VIII
Owner/operator:	1 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	MD316
MSN:	EA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Yelahanka, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	RIAF Yelahanka, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Narrative:
MD316: Spitfire LF. VIII. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Hampshire with Merlin M66 engine. To 6MU RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire 29-1-44. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 8-2-44 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. Shipped on the SS 'Streefkerk' 26-3-44, arriving India 11-5-44. To 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron coded 'KW-V'. 615 Squadron conducted operations on the Burma front in November 1943, but was recalled to India again, for defensive duties in August 1944. The transfer, from Pale to Biagachi, near Calcutta (Kolkata) was scheduled for 10-8-44. Despite a favourable weather forecast, the squadron encountered a violent monsoon storm en-route. Eight of the 16 aircraft, including that of the commanding officer, Squadron Leader Dave McCormack, DFC, were lost. Spitfire MD316 was one of the replacement aircraft, issued on or before 31-8-44. Thence to 1 Squadron RIAF on or after 10-6-45 when 615 Squadron RAF Disbanded at Biagachi.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6-9-46 when belly-landed in error at RIAF Yelahanka, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage on approach. Aircraft conducted a controlled belly landing. The pilot survived with minor injuries.

Crew of Spitfire MD316:
P/O (IND/3079) Roopanagunta "Smithy" Vishnu Bhaskar Bhardwaj - survived with minor injuries.

This incident did no lasting harm to the pilot's career; he was later promoted to Flight Lieutenant from 26-2-50, and then to Squadron Leader, He was killed on a later crash on 22-11-56, when the Commanding Officer of 2 Squadron RIAF: his Dassault Ouragan crashed on take-off from Palam, India (see separate entry)

Spitfire MD316 was initially assessed as Cat. C (Repairable). Later re-cat E(FA) and Struck Off Charge 31-10-46.

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.212
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 1 Sqn RIAF ORB for September 1946: National Archives (PRO Kew File AIR 27/17/36: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8406316
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.103: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89531-md316
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MD316
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MD316
9. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MD316
10. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3079
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._615_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
12. Spitfire Mk VIII (KW-V, MD316) of "B" Flight, No. 615 Squadron at Baigachi, Calcutta, India 1944-45: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205220837
13. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?15892-136Sqn-and-615Sqn-Burma-Photos-and-Information-Request&p=93696#post93696
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1_Squadron_IAF
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelahanka_Air_Force_Station

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2023 20:57	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jun-2023 20:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated
08-Jun-2023 08:06	Nepa	Updated
14-Sep-2023 10:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated