Date:	Wednesday 29 January 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	2 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	MT841
MSN:	6S 643773
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Kohat, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India -   Pakistan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Destination airport:	RIAF Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT841: Spitfire FR.XIV, MSN 6S 643773. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) with Merlin M66 engine. First Flown 21-12-44. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 31-1-45. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 2-2-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Empire Paragon' 13-2-45, arriving India 11-4-45. To 4 Squadron RIAF later in 1945. From 20-1-46, passed to 2 Squadron RIAF at RIAF Kohat, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India (Pakistan after the October 1947 partition of India) coded "U". According to some sources (see link #7 & #8) the aircraft was named "Pauline" and carried the appropriate "pin up girl" nose art!

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 29-1-47: Engine caught fire in circuit, aircraft belly-landed at RIAF Kohat, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, British India (Pakistan after the partition of India in October 1947). Whilst the Spitfire was flying in the circuit of RIAF Kohat, an oil leak developed in the engine's Heywood compressor, and the engine almost immediately caught fire. The pilot was therefore obliged to make an immediate 'engine out' emergency wheels up landing at RIAF Kohat. The oil leak and subsequent fire was caused by the compressor piston making a hole in the compressor casing, causing the oil to leak onto the hot exhaust and ignite.

Crew of Spitfire MT841:
Pilot Officer (IND/3235) Patrie Desmond Callaghan RIAF (pilot, aged 21 at the time) - survived OK

The pilot not only survived this incident uninjured, but later rose through the ranks of the Pakistan Air Force to become an Air Commodore. He retired on 20-12-1976, and died on 6-4-1992 (at 66 Years age)

Damage assessed as Cat E 29-1-47; Struck Off Charge 27-2-47

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.215
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. Spitfires in the Sun: A History of the Supermarine Spitfire in Indian Air Force Service 1944-1957 by Vikram Singh - https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/books/reviews/spitfires-in-the-sun/
5. 2 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 30-4-1941 to 31-7-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/28: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2502659
6. RAF Write-offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1978 No 2: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
7. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235062930-hasegawa-172-spitfire-mk-viii-as-mt841-riaf-pauline-nose-art/
8. https://hyperscale.com/2019/reviews/decals/exitoed48003reviewdc_1.htm
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89800-mt841
10. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT841
11. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT841
12. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT841
13. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3235
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAF_Base_Kohat

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2023 02:11	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Sep-2023 02:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated
07-Sep-2023 08:14	Nepa	Updated