Date:	Thursday 28 November 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	28 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MV329
MSN:	6S 585054
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sungai Pelek, Selangor, south west of RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya -   Malaysia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya
Destination airport:	RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MV320: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S 585054. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire with Griffon G65. Supermarine production prototype, first flown at Eastleigh 17-10-44. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 31-3-45. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries, 20-7-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'City of Hong Kong' 26-8-45, arriving India 17-9-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 27-9-45. To 28 Squadron; in October 1945, the squadron replaced its Hurricanes with more Spitfires, (Mk VIIIs and Mk XIVe), concentrating on the Spitfire XIVe by the end of the year. The squadron moved to Penang, Malaya in November 1945, then to RAF Kuala Lumpur, Malaya in April 1946

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 28-11-46 when engine failed and aircraft belly-landed south west of RAF Kuala Lumpur, West Malaya, Malayasia. The Spitfire was engaged in a formation flying sortie from RAF Kuala Lumpur when the engine failed. The pilot turned back to base in order to initiate an immediate emergency landing. However, he had insufficient available altitude to reach the airfield, and instead force landed in scrubland at Sungai Pelek, Selangor, south west of RAF Kuala Lumpur.

The subsequent Board of Inquiry determined that the cause of the engine failure was fuel starvation. The AC.2 aircraft fitter ground crew tasked with refuelling Spitfire MV320 had failed to carry out this task, and the NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) in charge of supervising the AC.2 aircraft fitter failed to check the Air Ministry Form AM.700, which would have recorded the refuelling (when and how much fuel was loaded on board). To compound the errors, the pilot also failed to check the AM,700 form, so he also had no idea if Spitfire MV320 had been refuelled or not...

A "Summary of Evidence" disciplinary hearing was taken against all three crew. As a result, all three (AC.2 Ground Crew, Supervising NCO and the Pilot) were subject to disciplinary procedures and "black marks" on their record for negligence resulting in the "loss of his majesty's aircraft Spitfire MV320"

Damage assessed as Cat. E 4-12-46. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 27-3-47.

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.250
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. ORB 28 Sqn RAF for the period 1-10-1945 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2405/25: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8419460
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.104: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p076.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MV320
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?27064-Spitfire-MV320
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._28_Squadron_RAF#Post-War_
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kuala_Lumpur#Military

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Sep-2023 03:21	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Sep-2023 08:12	Nepa	Updated