Date:	Tuesday 26 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	318 (City of Gdańsk) Sqn RAF
Registration:	ML242
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region -   Italy
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region
Destination airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
ML242: Spitfire LF. IX, built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. To 8MU RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 30-4-44. To 165 Squadron, RAF Predannack, Cornwall coded 'SK-A' from 30-5-44. 165 Squadron were based at RAF Predannack, Cornwall from 2-4-44. The squadron was moved to RAF Harrowbeer on 20-6-44, then RAF Detling on 22-6-44, to help combat flying-bomb attacks and provide escort for bomber forces. The squadron was moved to RAF Lympne on 12-7-44 and then back to RAF Detling, Kent on 10-8-44. The squadron moved to RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk, on 15-12-44, where it was re-equipped with North American Mustangs

To RAF Pershore 21-4-45. To MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Forces) 21-6-45. To 318 "City of Gdańsk" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron, RAF (Polish: 318 Dywizjon Myśliwsko-Rozpoznawczy Gdański"), Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region, Italy coded "LW-K" by July 1945.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 26-3-46 when overshot on landing Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region, Italy. The pilot landed the aircraft at Treviso too fast, and it overshot the runway before tipping up onto its nose. The pilot should have initiated an overshoot, and resolved the problem by "going around again". However, he was prevented from doing so, due to ATC (Air Traffic Control) having given clearance to another aircraft to approach and land at Treviso on a reciprocal heading.

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 28-3-46 as Cat. E(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.105
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 318 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-7-1943 to 31-7-46: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1710/2: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8401304
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p073.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/ML242
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/86462-ml242
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=ML242
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._318_Polish_Fighter-Reconnaissance_Squadron
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treviso_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jul-2023 20:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-Jul-2023 21:07	Nepa	Updated