Date:	Monday 5 May 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	17 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RN181
MSN:	KEA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Aragawa strip near Imaichi, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture -   Japan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Iwakuni Air Base, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
RN181: Spitfire FR. XIV, built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 5-2-45. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 20-2-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Defender' 8-3-45, arriving India 6-4-45. Shipped to Japan 26-9-46. To 17 Squadron RAF in October 1946. In April 1946, No. 17 Squadron arrived in Japan to form part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. The squadron remained here until it disbanded on 23-2-48.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 5-5-47 when engine cut and aircraft belly-landed at Aragawa strip near Imaichi, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The camshaft drive in the port side of the engine failed, and the teeth of some of the associated gears sheared, causing the engine to stop 'dead' while the aircraft was in flight. The pilot them made an immediate 'engine out' wheels-up landing at Awagawa airstrip. Pilot Warrant Officer James was uninjured.

Not repaired' Struck Off Charge 31-7-47 as Cat. E2(FA)

Imaichi (今市市, Imaichi-shi) was a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 31, 1954, so the crash location was open fields at the time of this incident.

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.338
3. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
4. 17 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1946 to 23-2-1948: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2400: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505038
5. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No. 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p097.html
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/102157-rn181
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RN181
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RN181
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._17_Squadron_RAF#Post-War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaichi,_Tochigi

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Sep-2023 03:43	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Sep-2023 09:01	Nepa	Updated