This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can
submit corrected information.
Date: | Thursday 6 March 1947 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII |
Owner/operator: | 1 SFTS RIAF |
Registration: | MT725 |
MSN: | 6S 479776 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -
India
|
Phase: | Landing |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India |
Destination airport: | RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:MT725: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN 6S-479776. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 9-12-44. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 9-1-45 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. To 1 PATP then Shipped on the ss 'Mahadevi' 22-1-45, arriving India 19-2-45. To 9 Squadron RIAF in March 1945. Involved in a minor accident on 18-5-45 when with 9 Squadron RIAF when it got lost on local flying practice, and made a wheels-up forced landing. Pilot was Pilot Officer J Seleski.
Repaired and issued to 1SFTS AFS RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India in early 1946.
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6-3-47 when undercarriage collapsed in a heavy landing at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. During a flapless landing at RIAF Ambala, the Spitfire stalled, and landed heavily, causing serious damage to the propeller, undercarriage, mainplanes and fuselage. The pilot, however, appears to have survived with only minor injuries.
Crew of Spitfire MT725:
Pilot Officer (IND/3323) Amit Singh Bakhshi RIAF (pilot) - survived with minor injuries
The pilot later rose through the ranks to become a Squadron Leader and Commanding Officer of 16 Squadron IAF from 11-5-57. He retired from the Indian Air Force on 1-12-66 to become a civilian pilot with Air India
Aircraft not repaired; Struck Off Charge 27-3-47 as Cat. E2(FA)
Sources:
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.147
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No. 2 1978:
https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf 5.
https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89722-mt725 6.
https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT725 7.
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT725 8.
https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT725 9.
https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3323 10.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History Location
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
04-Sep-2023 19:09 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
05-Sep-2023 08:40 |
Nepa |
Updated |