Date:	Friday 19 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	136 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MT826
MSN:	6S 729066
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya -   Malaysia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya, Malayasia
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT826: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN 6S 729066. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Hampshire with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 7-7-44. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 18-7-44 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. To 1PATP, then shipped on the SS 'City of Newcastle' 16-8-44, arriving India 29-9-44. To 136 Squadron, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in October 1944. In July 1944, 136 Squadron moved to Ceylon, flying from Ratmalana and later from Minneriya. At the end of March 1945, the Squadron ground echelon had left for the Cocos Islands and the squadron's aircraft began flying upon completion of the airstrip there a month later.

After the Japanese surrender in September 1945 the squadron re-located to RAF Tengah, Singapore in October 1945, and from there, went on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November 1945, where they received Spitfire Mk. XIVs, and where it remained until May 1946, when the squadron embarked for India. Arriving in Bombay, the squadron was disbanded on 8 May 1946 by being renumbered to No. 152 Squadron RAF.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 19-4-46: engine failed, aircraft abandoned and crashed at Kuala Lumpur Malayasia. At approx. 4,500 feet, the Spitfire was inverted for about 10 seconds, causing an engine failure due to an airlock in the fuel system. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unable to do so.

When the Spitfire had descended to 2,000 feet, the pilot bailed out, as a forced landing was out of the question due to the local terrain. The pilot descended by parachute and landed safely.

Crew of Spitfire MT826
Flt/Lt (109949) Michael R Alston, RAF (pilot) - bailed out, parachuted to safety unharmed

After the war the pilot flew Meteor jets, and in 1948 attended No. 7 Course at the Empire Test Pilots School at Farnborough. He remained as a test pilot, initially at Farnborough and then at Boscombe Down, and was serving with B Squadron of the A&AEE there when he was killed in May 1956 flying the second prototype Canberra B(I)8 WT328. He was aged 36 and unmarried.

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.181
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 136 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 30-4-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/953/28: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8388253
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.98: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT826
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT826
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89791-mt826
9. https://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/?p=109
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._136_Squadron_RAF#Malaya
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kuala_Lumpur

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jul-2023 17:22	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 13:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated