Date:	Thursday 16 January 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	AFS RIAF
Registration:	NH873
MSN:	KEA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -   India
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana
Destination airport:	RIAF Ambala, Haryana
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
NH873: Spitfire FR XIV, built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 29MU RAF High Ercall, Shropshire 26-4-45. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 4-5-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. 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 AFS (Advanced Flying School), RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 16-1-47; Tyre burst on take-off at RIAF Ambala. Although the Spitfire managed to takeoff normally and complete the planned sortie, upon return to RIAF Ambala, the Spitfire belly-landed, as it was "took risky" to land with one tyre burst. Therefore, the airframe was severely damaged, as it slid along the runway at RIAF Ambala at high speed before coming to a halt

Crew of Spitfire NH873
P/O (IND/3293) Rene Harold Beaupert (pilot) RIAF- survived with minor injuries

The very same pilot was killed on 18-3-47 when at the controls of Spitfire FR. XVIII TZ104 of 6 Squadron RIAF which crashed near Palaman, Bihar, India (see separate entry)

Damaged assessed as Cat E 16-1-47; not repaired, Struck Off Charge 30-1-47

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.263
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p080.html
4. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/NH873
5. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/NH873
6. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3293
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80056-nh873
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=NH873
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Sep-2023 11:15	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Sep-2023 20:35	Nepa	Updated