Date:	Wednesday 13 February 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	302 (Poznanski) Sqn RAF
Registration:	TB589
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near RAF Alhorn, Vechta, Lower Saxony, BZG, West Germany -   Germany
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Alhorn, Vechta, Lower Saxony, BZG, West Germany
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
TB589: Spitfire LF. XVI, built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. To 29MU RAF High Ercall, Shropshire 3-2-45. To 302 (Poznanski) Squadron, RAF 8-3-45. To 317 "City of Wilno" Polish Fighter Squadron (Polish: 317 Dywizjon Myśliwski „Wileński") 24-5-45. Returned to 302 (Poznanski) Squadron 8-10-45 at RAF Alhorn, West Germany

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 13-2-46 when force-landed due to engine failure near RAF Alhorn, Vechta, Lower Saxony, BZG, West Germany. Two connecting rods in the Spitfire's Merlin engine broke immediately after takeoff, and the engine stopped. The pilot - Warrant Officer F. Dekka - carried out a forced 'straight head' 'engine out' landing in a field beyond the end of the runway at Alhorn.

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 28-2-46 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.71
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. ORB 302 Sqdn RAF for the period 1-9-1945 to 30-6-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1662/41: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8399972
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p108.html
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TB589
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90541-tb589
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TB589
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._317_Polish_Fighter_Squadron
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._302_Polish_Fighter_Squadron
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ahlhorn#Second_World_War_and_beyond
.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jul-2023 08:04	Nepa	Updated
17-Sep-2023 17:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated