Date:	Friday 25 July 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk III
Owner/operator:	EFS RAF
Registration:	EE477
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire
Destination airport:	RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor EE477: Delivered to the ECFS (Empire Central Flying School) RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire 27.2.46. ECFS became EFS (Empire Flying School) at RAF Hullavington 7.5.46. Aircraft coded "FCW-L"

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 25.7.47: In flight, the elevator horn balances failed, there was severe wrinkling of the upper skin, and the radio mast collapsed, which, in turn, caused severe overstressing of the airframe. The pilot - Flight Lieutenant F E Lord - had only 20 minutes flying experience on flying the Gloster Meteor (most of it on this flight!). However, he was an experienced pilot, having a total of 1,500 hours flying experience on other types of aircraft, and made a successful immediate landing at RAF Lyneham. The pilot was awarded a "Green Endorsement" in his flying log book for successfully recovering of the aircraft in an emergency situation.

Sent to 32 MU RAF St. Athan, South Glamorgan in August 1947 for damage assessment. Repairs abandoned 22.5.48 and struck off charge 20.12.48 as Cat. E(FA)

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.66. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.324
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1988 p 21)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2387: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578233
5. EFS RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1942 to 31-5-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/628: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100337
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf p.77
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_College_of_Air_Warfare#History
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Hullavington#Royal_Air_Force
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Lyneham#Post-war

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Nov-2019 18:14	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-Nov-2019 19:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Nov-2019 12:02	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
20-Jul-2021 11:27	Anon.	Updated [Time, Location, Operator]
12-May-2023 08:56	Nepa	Updated [[Time, Location, Operator]]