Date:	Thursday 13 June 1946
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	2 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	MB971
MSN:	KEA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Miranshah, North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -   Pakistan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Kohat, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India (Pakistan)
Destination airport:	RIAF Miranshah, North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MB971: Spitfire LF.VIII, built at Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 6-4-44. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 21-4-44 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Fort Churchill' 17-5-44, arriving India 4-7-44. To 2 Squadron RIAF by 1-4-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 13-6-46 when undercarriage jammed in a crash landing at RIAF Miranshah, North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India (Pakistan after the 1947 partition of India). Aircraft was engaged on a ferry/positioning flight from RIAF Kohat, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India. The pilot made a 'hard' landing, causing the port undercarriage to be jammed in the 'up' position. An overshoot was made, but the Spitfire crashed during the subsequent touchdown due to the port undercarriage leg being broken and bent inwards.

Crew of Spitfire MB971
Flying Officer (IND/2323) Walter Vernon Alexander Lloyd, RIAF (Pilot) - survived uninjured.

Damage assessed as 'casualty wastage return' 27-6-46. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 11-7-46 as Cat.E2(FA)

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.161
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 2 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-4-45 to 30-6-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/28/21 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8406458
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MB971
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MB971
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MB971
9. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2323
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89387-mb971
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranshah

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jun-2023 08:02	Nepa	Updated
25-Jun-2023 14:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated
15-Sep-2023 17:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated