Date:	Tuesday 20 August 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	132 MU RAF
Registration:	MK322
MSN:	CBAF.IX.1540
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Kasfareet (LG-212), Ismaila Governate -   Egypt
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Kasfareet (LG-212), Ismaila Governate
Destination airport:	RAF Kasfareet (LG-212), Ismaila Governate
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MK322: Spitfire LF IX, MSN CBAF. IX.1540. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 4-2-44. To 329 (GC I/2 'Cicognes') (Free French) Squadron RAF coded '5A-J' 3-3-44. Cat B accident 12-5-44. Repaired and returned to service with 332 (Norwegian) Squadron 13-7-44 coded 'AH-F'. To 16 Squadron, RAF Hartford Bridge (a.k.a RAF Blackbushe), Yateley, Hampshire 20-7-44. To 34WSU 19-10-44 for repairs on site 9-12-44. To AST (Airwork Service Training) for repairs in works 2-1-45. To 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron 4-2-45. Cat B accident 4-2-45. To RAF Pershore 2-6-45. To Mediterranean Allied Air Force 15-6-45. To 132MU RAF Kasfareet (LG-212), Ismaila Governate, Egypt

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 20-8-46 in a landing accident at RAF Kasfareet (LG-212), Ismaila Governate, Egypt. On final approach to RAF Kasfareet, the pilot did not lower the undercarriage until very late on the approach. As a result, the undercarriage had not sufficient time to fully lower and lock down. Therefore, upon touchdown, the not-fully-locked-down undercarriage immediately collapsed, causing the aircraft to make a belly landing, with consequent severe damaged to the underside of the airframe

The subsequent Board of Inquiry attributed the accident to pilot error and the pilots lack of recent flying experience. The pilot had only flown for a total of 3 hours in the 12 months prior to this incident.

Damage assessed as Cat. E, and aircraft Struck Off Charge 30-1-47.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents: 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.201
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1988)
4. ORB 107 MU RAF Kasfareet for the period 1-1-1941 to 31-10-46: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1038: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100748
5. RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.102: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p069.html
7. https://www.canalzoners.co.uk/RAF%20Kasfareet/Kasfareet%20-%20M%20Taynton.htm
8. https://107muassociation.weebly.com/1946.html
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MK322
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/85882-mk322
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._329_Squadron_RAF#RAF_service
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._332_Squadron_RAF#In_World_War_II_(1942%E2%80%931945)
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._16_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._611_Squadron_RAF#Wartime_operations
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_African_airfields_during_World_War_II

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jun-2023 19:09	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Jun-2023 20:11	Nepa	Updated
14-Sep-2023 17:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated
19-Sep-2023 21:49	Nepa	Updated