Date:	Thursday 6 June 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	6 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MJ256
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine -   Israel
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Ramat David, Palestine
Destination airport:	RAF Ramat David, Palestine
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MJ256: Spitfire LF. IX, built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. To 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 20-10-43. To 47MU RAF Sealand, Flintshire 7-11-43 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Montgomery City' 15-11-43, arriving Casablanca, Morocco 29-11-43. To 72 Squadron in Tunisia by 31-12-43. To Middle East Air Command 9-8-45. To 11 Squadron SAAF coded 'ND-M'. In August 1945, 11 Squadron SAAF received Spitfire Mk. IXs and was transferred back to Egypt, where it remained until being disbanded on 30-10-45

To 6 Squadron RAF Ramat David, Palestine early in November 1945 coded "JV-M"

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6-6-46 when undercarriage collapsed on landing at RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine. The pilot misjudged his first approach to Ramat David, and stalled the Spitfire from an altitude of only 5 feet above the runway. The port wheel was damaged on impact with the ground, and the pilot therefore overshot the approach in order to make a second landing attempt.

Although a smooth touchdown was then made, the port undercarriage collapsed, despite the pilot having attempted to keep the port wing aloft for as long as possible. When the port wing contacted the runway, it provoked a ground loop, and the Spitfire swung off the runway and was severely damaged.

Damage assessed as Cat. E 6-6-46. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 25-7-46 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.157
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 6 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-45 to 31-7-47: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p066.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MJ256
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/85160-mj256
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._72_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_Squadron_SAAF#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._6_Squadron_RAF#Post-Second_World_War/Cold_War
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramat_David_Airbase#RAF_Ramat_David

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Jun-2023 02:03	Dr. John Smith	Added
25-Jun-2023 08:33	Nepa	Updated
15-Sep-2023 18:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated