Date:	Wednesday 22 January 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	390 MU RAF
Registration:	RN200
MSN:	6S 663416
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Seletar -   Singapore
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Bangkok, Thailand
Destination airport:	RAF Seletar, Singapore
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
RN200: Spitfire FR. XIV, MSN 6S 663416. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 20-2-45. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 12-3-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. To 1 PATP, then shipped on the ss 'Empire Dynasty' 16-5-45, arriving India 7-6-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 28-6-45. To 390MU RAF Seletar, Singapore July 1945 for erection and preparation for service.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 22-1-47: The Spitfire was being ferried from Bangkok, Thailand, to RAF Seletar, Singapore. On landing at RAAF Butterworth, Malaya to refuel, the pilot noticed that the undercarriage selector lever was stiff and reluctant to move. He attributed this problem to the fact the Spitfire RN200 had been in long term storage, and had not been flown for approx. one year, and not to any serious fault with the undercarriage.

However, on the final approach to RAF Seletar, Singapore, the undercarriage selector lever was jammed (with the undercarriage in the "up" position), and was unable to be moved at all. The pilot therefore jettisoned the ventral fuel tank, and carried out the appropriate emergency drills - all to no effect. After instructions over the R/T from ATC (Air Traffic Control) the pilot of Spitfire RN200 then carried out an emergency 'wheels-up' belly landing at RAF Seletar. The aircraft was severely damaged in the belly landing, as it slid along the runway at RAF Seletar at high speed until it came to a halt

The Subsequent Board of Inquiry attributed the initial stiffness of the undercarriage selector lever, and the subsequent inability to lower the undercarriage, to the jamming of the starboard undercarriage locking pin

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 27-2-47 as Cat. E(FA)

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.264
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. ORB 390 MU RAF for the period 1-12-1945 to 30-6-1948: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1563: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101273
5. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.2 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RN200
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/102175-rn200
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RN200
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seletar_Airport#Post-World_War_II

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2023 21:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
13-Sep-2023 09:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated
23-Sep-2023 20:23	Nepa	Updated