Sorry for the vagueness of the details, but I’ve been asked this via my http://www.neaa.co.uk website, and wondered if anyone might be able to help:
“I went to Croft school from 1947 to 1955. Some time in that period a Meteor jet crashed in a field behind the school at lunch time. I remember jumping onto the dinner tables (with everyone else) to look out of the window and see a column of grey smoke boiling skyward from behind the cookhouse. large crater left afterwards and a large tree stump had completely disappeared. I’ve been trying to find out more about the crash, date, why? etc. I used to live at Dalton on Tees near Croft aerodrome where the Middleton St George Meteors were based for a time. One Meteor crashed on the approach (engine failure?), skidded across a field, up and over the spoil bank and ended up on the Darlington to London railway line. I seem to remember about eight Meteors in the area at the time, do you have any info?”
I’m not sure if it’s one crash or two that he’s asking about, but any helpful answers would be much appreciated.
Simon
By: Sleeve Wing - 24th September 2007 at 17:01
[QUOTE=lauriebe;1164717]Sleeve Wing, is this the one?
Yep, lauriebe. That’s it. Had forgotten detail regarding practice s/e approach/goaround/roller.
All comes back. Ask the BMA cabin staff who changed rooms after “visitations” during the eighties ! Seriously frightened.
…………And no shenanigins either !!
Thx.
Sleeve. 😉
By: lauriebe - 24th September 2007 at 09:16
Slightly off thread but can anybody enlighten on the Meteor that lost an engine on take off/overshoot at M.St G. and crashed into the West wing of the officers mess. The “ghost of the St.George Hotel story ?”
(Again off thread, but completed my Vampire night flying there (ex Linton) in 1962.) 😎
Sleeve Wing, is this the one?
24 Nov 51 VW297 Meteor F4 205 AFS Middleton St George
The aircraft made a normal single engine approach and landing and rolled along the runway for some distance before the pilot apparently attempted to take off again on one engine. However, in doing so he lost control and the aircraft ran off the runway and struck a building
The building was the Officer’s Mess and the pilot did not survive the accident. Details from ‘Broken Wings’ by Jim Halley and ‘Last Take-off’ by Colin Cummings.
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd September 2007 at 14:03
Thanks lauriebe
The only reference to a Meteor crash at/near Croft between those dates that I can find is that of VW255. Details as recorded in Colin Cummings’ book ‘Last Take-off’ are:
25 Jan 51 VW255 Meteor F4 205 AFS Croft, Yorkshire.
The aircraft commenced a climb through cloud but shortly afterwards was seen to dive from cloud out of control.
The pilot was Flying Officer A A McKernan aged 24. He did not survive the crash.
As for the second query, could this be Meteor T7 WA719? This aircraft undershot an assymetric approach at Middleton on 12 Jan 51 and struck a railway embankment. Again, details from ‘Last Take-off’. Location is given as “near Middleton St George”.
Thanks for the info Lauriebe – very much appreciated. I’ll pass the info on.
Cheers
Simon
By: Sleeve Wing - 23rd September 2007 at 13:21
Teesside Meteors.
Slightly off thread but can anybody enlighten on the Meteor that lost an engine on take off/overshoot at M.St G. and crashed into the West wing of the officers mess. The “ghost of the St.George Hotel story ?”
(Again off thread, but completed my Vampire night flying there (ex Linton) in 1962.) 😎
By: lauriebe - 23rd September 2007 at 08:35
The only reference to a Meteor crash at/near Croft between those dates that I can find is that of VW255. Details as recorded in Colin Cummings’ book ‘Last Take-off’ are:
25 Jan 51 VW255 Meteor F4 205 AFS Croft, Yorkshire.
The aircraft commenced a climb through cloud but shortly afterwards was seen to dive from cloud out of control.
The pilot was Flying Officer A A McKernan aged 24. He did not survive the crash.
As for the second query, could this be Meteor T7 WA719? This aircraft undershot an assymetric approach at Middleton on 12 Jan 51 and struck a railway embankment. Again, details from ‘Last Take-off’. Location is given as “near Middleton St George”.
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th September 2007 at 13:08
I wonder if the title could be ammended a tad just enforce it was in the 1950’s ta:)
I also wonder if the local papers may have something about it on their data bases,not only that a chat with someone on the railway system may help as well.It would probably have been noted in the railway area as they would’ve shut the line up for the recovery and and any repairs needed to the track and signals.:)
Thanks for the title suggestion – done!
I’ll drop an e-mail to the Northern Echo, I think, and see if they can help.
Cheers
Simon
By: trumper - 19th September 2007 at 11:26
I wonder if the title could be ammended a tad just enforce it was in the 1950’s ta:)
I also wonder if the local papers may have something about it on their data bases,not only that a chat with someone on the railway system may help as well.It would probably have been noted in the railway area as they would’ve shut the line up for the recovery and and any repairs needed to the track and signals.:)
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September 19, 2007 at 9:50 am