Date:	Saturday 9 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	6 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	MT615
MSN:	CHA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1-mile North West of RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand, India -   India
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT615: Spitfire LF.VIII, built at Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford 20-4-44. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 5-5-44 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the SS 'City of Agra' 30-5-44, arriving India 4-7-44. To 81 Squadron coded 'FL-Y'. 81 Squadron was withdrawn to Ceylon in August 1944 and disbanded on 20-6-45. To 6 Squadron RIAF by/om 1-11-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9-3-46 when engine failed on takeoff crashed 1 mile North-West of RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, and the Spitfire made a "wheels up" belly landing

Crew of Spitfire MT615:
P/O (IND/3039) Aloysius Henry Eric Fernandez (pilot) RIAF- survived with minor injuries.

The pilot recovered and returned to service, was promoted to a Flight Lieutenant with 10 Squadron RIAF, and completed his tours of duty of 12-5-52.

Damage assessed as Cat E 9-3-46. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 25-4-46.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.91
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 6 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-11-1945 to 30-4-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/96/15: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407238
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.96: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p074.html
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT615
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/3039
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT615
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89639-mt615
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._6_Squadron_IAF#History
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._81_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranchi

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jul-2023 03:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Jul-2023 03:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated
10-Jul-2023 19:56	Nepa	Updated
17-Sep-2023 15:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated