Date:	Friday 8 November 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	6 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	TZ163
MSN:	6S 676535
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand -   India
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
TZ163; Spitfire FR.XIV, MSN 6S 676535. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G65 engine. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 13-8-45. To 47MU RAF Sealand, Flintshire 20-9-45 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Ocean Viceroy' 24-9-45, arriving India 30-10-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 29-11-45. To 6 Squadron RIAF by/on 31-12-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 8-11-46 when crashed on takeoff at RIAF Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. During the take-off run, the Spitfire swung to starboard off the runway, due to a tyre bursting. The aircraft ran off the side of the runway onto rough ground, and was wrecked when it tipped up onto it nose, severely damaging the propellor, and causing 'shock loading' damage to the engine. The pilot seems to have survived uninjured

Crew of Spitfire TZ163
Flying Officer (IND/3063) Trevor Reginald Peters, RIAF (Pilot) - survived uninjured.

This incident was the first of three crashes that involved the above pilot. The very same pilot was at the controls of Spitfire MD387 when it crashed on 18-9-46, also at RIAF Ranchi (see separate entry). He was killed on 31-10-47 it the crash of Douglas C-47 MA965, which crashed in Pirpanjal killing all on board (over 20 people - passengers and crew).

Damage assessed as Cat. E(FA). Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 24-4-47

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.243
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. ORB 6 Sqdn RIAF for the period 1-11-1945 to 30-4-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/96/15: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407238
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/p114.html
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/TZ163
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/2886
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TZ163
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80250-tz163
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birsa_Munda_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Sep-2023 12:01	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Sep-2023 12:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated
12-Sep-2023 17:14	Nepa	Updated