Chipmunk T.10 WZ869 Cat.5 Crash 20th May 1968.

On 12th December 1967 the aircraft was declared Cat3R and repaired on site by No.60MU being returned to flight not long after. This is almost certainly for the centre tie-bar replacement which was normally recorded in this way.

Any news on her progress?

Rob.

Chipmunk T.10 WZ869 Cat.5 Crash 20th May 1968.

From Category Five by Colin Cummings.

20 May 1968 WZ869 Chipmunk 1FTS Rufforth

The pilot was demonstrating an engine failure after take-off and then opened the throttle but there was no response from the engine. The pilot then asked the student if the switches were on and he replied that they were. The pilot then attempted again but without success and so a forced landing was made short of the airfield. In the subsequent investigation, it transpired that the student had misunderstood some comments made by the instructor pilot so had closed the ignition switches and only put them back on when asked if they were on by the pilot. The exercise had not been briefed beforehand and the student’s inexperience was a contributing factor.

After this crash: Aircraft deemed to be beyond economical repair, and struck off charge as Cat.5(G/I). To Ground instructional airframe 8019M with 391 ATC Handford, Cheshire as PAX trainer (cockpit section), sold 28/07/2007 to South Moulton, Devon, to Bruntingthorpe 18/07/2008, to Leicester 18/08/2008

And I found this on flickr.com:

Caption: “The fuselage of former RAF Chipmunk T.10 WZ869 at Handforth 28/04/1985, kept in a shed on the premises of 391 Sqdn ATC”

From Category Five by Colin Cummings.

20 May 1968 WZ869 Chipmunk 1FTS Rufforth

The pilot was demonstrating an engine failure after take-off and then opened the throttle but there was no response from the engine. The pilot then asked the student if the switches were on and he replied that they were. The pilot then attempted again but without success and so a forced landing was made short of the airfield. In the subsequent investigation, it transpired that the student had misunderstood some comments made by the instructor pilot so had closed the ignition switches and only put them back on when asked if they were on by the pilot. The exercise had not been briefed beforehand and the student’s inexperience was a contributing factor.

From the ‘Losses’ section on UK Serials:

20/05/1968 WZ869 R Chipmunk T10 1 FTS Crash-landed at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorks after the engine failed to pick up during an overshoot. The student had inadvertently turned off the fuel and ignition.