Date:	Wednesday 2 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	8 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	SM897
MSN:	6S 585089
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Mingaladon, near Rangoon, Burma -   Myanmar
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Mingaladon, Burma
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
SM897: Spitfire FR. XIV, MSN 6S 585089. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 6MU RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire 15-5-45. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 1-6-45 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. Shipped on the SS 'Empire Kumasi' 19-7-45, arriving India 14-8-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 23-8-45. To 8 Squadron RIAF by 1-12-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 2-1-46 when swung off runway on takeoff and crashed into a parking area at RAF Mingaladon, near Rangoon, Burma. The pilot in command was only on his second-ever solo flight in a Spitfire. As he opened the throttle to commence the takeoff run, the Spitfire began to swing off the runway, and before the pilot could take action to correct the swing, the aircraft went off the side of the runway. The Spitfire then ran into a ditch, and collied with a parked steam roller, inflicting fatal injuries to two locally employed civilian contractors, who were operating the steam roller. The Spitfire was written off, but the pilot survived with slight injuries

Crew of Spitfire SM897
P/O (IND/3040) Douglas George King-Lee (pilot) RIAF - slightly injured;
+
2 IOR of 1284 IPC killed

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 31-1-46 as Cat E

After 1947, RAF Mingaladon was the site of Yangon Airport; Rangoon was renamed Yangon, and Burma was renamed Myanmar

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.22
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.93: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=SM897
6. 8 Squadron RIAF ORB for the period 1-12-1945 to 30-11-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/123/11: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407579
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p102.html
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SM897
9. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/SM897
10. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3040
11. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80198-tz107
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon_International_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Jul-2023 17:02	Nepa	Updated