ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 56574
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| Date: | Monday 27 April 1964 |
| Time: | 16:00 |
| Type: |  English Electric Lightning F Mk 2 |
| Owner/operator: | 92 (East India) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | XN785 |
| MSN: | 95138 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Disused airfield, Hutton Cranswick, Humberside. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire |
| Disused airfield | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
XN785 ran short of fuel due to a systems fault during an air-to-air refuelling exercise. Probable flame-out on GCA and cockpit misting. Unable to reach Leconfield the pilot attempted a forced landing on the disused airfield at Hutton Cranswick.
The Lightning crashed and the pilot - Flying Officer Davey - did not eject, and was killed.
Eyewitness Report 1:
"I was the first person to arrive at the site on the back of a motorbike with Anthony Fry both of Hutton Cranswick. The pilot was still in but minus his head and helmet and plane on fire. It came to rest facing the direction of Driffield about 150m up Burn Butts road opposite the garden centre. He missed the airfield by 300m. As a child Ispent many hours on this airfield and many items from WW11 were buried in Cawkeld Pit when it was cleared. Many aicraft opperated from here. Many memories"
Eyewitness Report 2:
"I was stationed at Leconfield (19 Sqdn) at the time and on that day, I was driving in from RAF Driffield where I lived, and XN785 past me on my right hand side. She was very low and had her wheels down. I didn't see the crash, in fact, I didn't know she had crashed until I got to my squadron to start my night shift. Naturally we were all abuzz with the news, not knowing about the unfortunate pilot. An armourer friend who lived close to me, was on crash crew and was sent to the crash scene to make the seat safe, not knowing the the pilot was still sitting there...minus his head. My mate (can't remember his name) lost his lunch and another guy was called in to do the honours. The story goes that another member of the crash crew was reviewing the crash wreckage and rolled over what he thought was the avpin bottle (I think) and it was in fact the pilots bone dome and head. A sad ending for all concerned."
I was a ground crew member of 92 Sqd at this time (Air Wireless Mech) and remember having to guard the remnants of the aircraft overnight on this sad day. I used to play squash with the pilot and have fond memories of our times on the squadron.
Sources:
Personal Testimony (see above)
http://web.archive.org/web/20160304001833/http://www.lightning.org.uk/histf2f2a.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20170421194245/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1964.htm#apr
http://www.aviation-picture-hangar.co.uk/xn785.html
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?p=1470599
www.ukserials.com/losses-1964.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Sep-2011 23:19 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Nov-2011 12:14 | Graham Price | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 16-Jan-2012 14:14 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator] |
| 12-Feb-2012 11:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Feb-2012 14:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Aug-2012 12:49 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 14-Dec-2014 20:11 | Papageno | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 04-Sep-2018 19:17 | Dennis Weatherill | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 31-Oct-2018 01:02 | JINX | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location] |
| 12-Nov-2018 09:34 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator, Operator] |
| 09-Apr-2020 09:11 | INV | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator] |
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