Date:	Tuesday 17 December 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	AFS RIAF
Registration:	TZ185
MSN:	6S 676550
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:
TZ185: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S 676550. Built at Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire with Griffon G66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 23-5-45. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 7-7-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Empire Gambia' 5-8-45, arriving India 30-8-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 6-9-45. To AFS (Advanced Flying School), RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 17-12-46: engine failure on approach, wheels up landing at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. The teeth of the idler spur wheel failed/sheared, and the engine ignition timing was disrupted, causing an engine failure. The pilot then had to make an immediate 'engine out' belly landing on the airfield at RIAF Ambala, which caused severe damage to the airframe as it slid along the ground at speed before coming to a halt. The pilot was apparently uninjured

Crew of Spitfire TZ185:
Pilot Officer (IND/3239) Percy Edward Harrington, RIAF (pilot) - survived uninjured.

Damage assessed as Cat. E 17-12-46. Formally Struck Off Charge 30-1-47.

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.256
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p114.html
4. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TZ185
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.104: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80271-tz185
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/TZ185
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3239
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TZ185
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Sep-2023 10:42	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Sep-2023 10:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated
11-Sep-2023 08:24	Nepa	Updated