ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 90239
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| Date: | Friday 17 August 1945 |
| Time: | 11:30 |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk XII |
| Owner/operator: | Old Sarum CF RAF |
| Registration: | EN234 |
| MSN: | 4051 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1,000 yards from the boundary of RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire |
The Spitfire Mk XII took off on a local flight from RAF Old Sarum in Wiltshire flown by Wing Commander Anthony Desmond Joseph (Tony) Lovell DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, DFC (US), RAF.
Wing Commander Lovell had served with distinction in the World War that had ended just two days previously and was a fighter pilot and fighter leader of exceptional ability.
After raising the undercarriage Wing Commander Lovell held the Spitfire down for a moment to let the speed build up and then at a height of about 100 feet performed a slow roll to the right. After gaining a little more height the aircraft was seen to enter another slow roll to the right in the course of which the Spitfire lost height, went through some power wires about 20 feet above the ground, and then after contacting the ground with the right wing tip crashed and disintegrated.
There was no fire.
The crash site was on a farm and witnesses to the accident were on the scene in moments.
W/C Lovell was found in the cockpit, dead. One of the shoulder straps of his safety harness had been snapped by the impact.
Tony Lovell's body was removed from the wreckage and placed on the ground about 15 feet away, where it was found by the first military person to arrive at the crash site. This gave rise to a legend that the pilot had been performing aerobatics at a low level with the safety harness unfastened and had been thrown from the cockpit in the crash.
EN234 was Struck Off Charge (SOC) on 28/9/45.
Sources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050316110146/http://brew.clients.ch:80/EN221-238.htm#The
Spitfire production list.
http://www.airfieldaviation.com/Lovells%20Last%20Flight%20MinSize.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Feb-2011 13:23 | ThW | Added |
| 31-Mar-2011 17:48 | angels one five | Updated [Registration, Cn, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Nov-2011 17:37 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Nov-2011 03:19 | angels one five | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Nov-2011 03:40 | angels one five | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Dec-2011 04:14 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source] |
| 28-Dec-2011 23:55 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source] |
| 01-Jan-2012 12:00 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source] |
| 01-Jan-2012 14:23 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 08-Jan-2012 21:27 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Nature, Source] |
| 09-Jan-2012 06:53 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source] |
| 12-Jan-2012 12:48 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 12-Jan-2012 13:07 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 23-Jan-2012 13:49 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
| 14-Aug-2013 22:27 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Sep-2013 22:18 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Operator] |
| 27-Mar-2015 21:12 | James JUMP | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport] |
| 03-Nov-2019 18:00 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 09-May-2023 21:34 | Nepa | Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |
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