Date:	Tuesday 4 October 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	2 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MV259
MSN:	6S 649183
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Wahn, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, BZG, West Germany -   Germany
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wahn, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany
Destination airport:	RAF Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MV259: Spitfire FR. XIV, MSN 6S 649183. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire with Griffon G65. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 3-2-45. To 414 ("City of Sarnia") Squadron RCAF 10-5-45 at Lüneburg Airfield (Advanced Landing Ground B156), BZG, West Germany. To 430 ("City of Sudbury") Squadron RCAF 17-5-45. To 416 (City of Oshawa") Squadron RCAF 15-11-45. To 2 Squadron at RAF Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, West Germany, as part of BAFO (British Armed Forces of Occupation) 5-2-49. Cat C (Repairable) accident 26-4-49; repaired on site and returned to service

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 4-10-49: During the take-off run from RAF Wahn, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, BZG, West Germany, a tyre burst, but the pilot managed to retain control of the aircraft. The Spitfire than took off normally, and became airborne safely. However, as the pilot was aware of the situation, he abandoned the mission, and instead flew circuits to burn off the aircraft's fuel. Once the fuel load was reduced to a safe level, the pilot attempted a wheels-up landing back at RAF Wahn. The landing caused extensive damage to the aircraft's underside, as the Spitfire skidded along the runway at RAF Whan

Damaged initially assessed as Cat C 4-10-49; repairs abandoned, re-cat E 11-10-49 and struck off charge

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.562
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 2 Sqn RAF ORB: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27
5. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/79876-mv259
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MV259
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MV259
8. https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/spitfire2/spitfire-mk-xiv-mv259/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._414_Squadron_RCAF#World_War_II
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/430_Tactical_Helicopter_Squadron#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/416_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._2_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War_(1945%E2%80%931988)
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Bonn_Airport#20th_century

Spitfire FR XIV MV259 in the snow early 1945 (possibly at RAF Colerne in February 1945)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Aug-2023 15:49	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Aug-2023 15:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated
03-Aug-2023 17:04	Nepa	Updated