Date:	Tuesday 21 January 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	17 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RM981
MSN:	6S 381800
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Miho Airbase, 11 km NW of Yonago, Tottori Prefecture -   Japan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Miho Airbase, Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan
Destination airport:	Miho Airbase, Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
RM981: Spitfire FR. XIV, MSN 6S 381800. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) with Griffon G65 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 20-12-44. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 13-1-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Mahadevi' 22-1-45, arriving India 19-2-45. 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) 21-1-47 in a wheels-up landing at Miho Airbase, 11 km NW of Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The primary cause of the incident was pilot error, in that the pilot simply forgot to lower the undercarriage of Spitfire RM981 on final approach. ATC (Air Traffic Control) at Mido Airbase fired red VEREY lights (flares) to warn the pilot that the Spitfire's undercarriage was not lowered. However, either the pilot did not see the flares, or ignored them, and the first that he became aware that his Spitfire had not lowered its undercarriage was when the aircraft made a 'wheels-up' belly landing at Miho Airbase. Spitfire RM981 were severely damaged, as it slid along the runway at Miho Airbase at high speed under it came to a halt. The pilot was apparently shaken but otherwise uninjured.

Damage assessed as Cat E 21-1-47. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 31-7-47 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. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
4. ORB 17 Sqn RAF 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/102084-rm981
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RM981
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RM981
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._17_Squadron_RAF#Post-War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miho-Yonago_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2023 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Sep-2023 20:36	Nepa	Updated
13-Sep-2023 10:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated