Meteor 8 WF747 crash, Chelsfield, April 1953

[John]

On 25th April 1953, Meteor 8 WF747 from No.600 Squadron RAAF at Biggin Hill took off on an interception exercise with another aircraft. Flying Officer C.L.I. Muntz, rated as 'above average' as a pilot, was at the controls. After flying interception vectors at various heights up to 2500 feet the aircraft flew over Biggin Hill at high speed and low level. Shortly afterwards, at a height of 600 feet, the cockpit canopy disintegrated and the rear cockpit hood fairing became detached. A few seconds later the ejector seat was seen to leave WF747 and fall to the ground with Muntz still strapped to it - the Meteor rolled onto its back and continued in a shallow dive until it struck the ground where it was completely destroyed by the impact and the following fire. The pilot died of the injuries he sustained when he struck the ground. WF747 crashed at Chelsfield, 2.5 miles north-east of Biggin Hill.

The Martin-Baker Mk1E Ejector seat had been severely damaged on its right side during landing. Both charges and the drogue pistol had operated normally and no evidence was found to suggest that the seat had been in contact with any part of the aircraft structure. The appearance of the rubber-covered handgrip suggested to crash investigators that it had been 'thrashing' whilst loose in the slipstream. Damage to the pilot's helmet and oxygen mask was consistent with their having been torn from his head by air loads on ejection - all his injuries were consistent with striking the ground on landing except for some bruising on the left hand and right foot which were probably sustained during the ejection itself.

Bizarrely enough, on the same day as this incident occurred, a pilot engaged on the same exercise with WF747 experienced hood disintegration. The pilot of this Meteor stated..

"I immediately decreased speed by extending the air brakes and commenced to climb. The ejection seat blind was pulled out of its stowage without my having touched it. The blind handle was flapping around behind my head and I realised that the ejector seat was in danger of firing itself off. I was unable to extend my arms sufficiently to reach the handle - I decided it would be safe to return to Biggin Hill at a speed not exceeding 175 knots".

Attached are some photographs from the crash scene, and the ejector seat after examination.

[John]

Witness statement of Mr. Peter Conway Brotherton of "Pateley", Chelsfield Lane, Chelsfield, Kent.

At approximately 15.00 hours on 25th April 1953 I was in my garden at Chelsfield when I saw some low flying aircraft. Several minutes later another aircraft flew over my house at a low altitude and whilst observing this aircraft I noticed that a second aircraft was following a short distance behind at high speed at approximately three hundred feet above ground level. After viewing this second aircraft for two or three seconds I heard a brief clatter followed immediately by a bang and observed an object leave the aircraft, slow down and rapidly fall towards the ground. I observed a small parachute attached to this object whilst it was falling and immediately recognised it as an ejection seat with a pilot seated therein. Immediately following ejection from the aircraft the seat turned over and over and whilst going through these motions I saw the pilot's arms and legs being flung about. After a second or two the seat stabilised itself on the end of the parachute and descended to the ground spinning around its vertical axis. I saw it disappear behind some trees only a few hundred yards away from where I was standing at the time. I immediately jumped into my car and drove to the nearest accessible point, and then ran over a field to the position where the seat had landed. I was definitely the first person to arrive on the scene and saw the pilot still strapped in his seat which was lying on its right side. The pilot's right elbow and forearm were trapped under the side of the seat and his head was leaning over his right shoulder and just touching the ground. His right temple appeared to have been severely crushed and there were several stains of blood on his clothing. His legs were not in the stirrups of the seat but were lying on the ground. He was not wearing a flying helmet, when I arrived at the scene.

I was joined a few seconds later by a Mr. Davies who also lives in Chelsfield and he assisted me in trying to free the pilot from the seat and I cut a webbing strap which I thought was holding the pilot. He still appeared to be firmly held in the seat so we turned the seat onto its back to see what was holding him in. On doing this, I could see more plainly that from the injuries which the pilot had sustained to his head, that he must have been dead. Realising this we allowed the seat to roll back onto its side as there was little we could do. I left the scene just as the police arrived. On returning to my home I telephoned Royal Air Force Station, Biggin Hill to ask them if they might be interested to have a statement from me and subsequently answered questions put to me by the Duty Officer.

[John]

Another view of the ejector seat from WF747.

[WINGS1938]

Hi John I am new and not sure how to post a question about the Meteor crash, so hope I am doing this right. I think that this crash was  I know about when a boy. My school teacher was a radio controler and a Meteor hit power lines at Maidstone then two other Meteors flew along side it. Over Dartford they were so low that shop windows fell out.  Some where near Biggin Hill the pilot left the aircraft inverted and the aircraft righted it self and flew on for some miles. Would any one know if this is the same crash. My teacher told me this at the time

[John]

Welcome to the forum, and well done on the first successful post. I realise that finding your way around something like this for the first time can be difficult!

I don't think that the incident you mention can be the same incident - just to make sure, I've looked through the documents that I'd photographed to see if I'd missed any reference to the Meteor hitting power lines. No luck. Off the top of my head, I don't recall any of the Meteor crashes on here matching the description you gave, but it might be worth reading through some of the others just to see if you can spot something that seems 'right'.

(One thing I do know, and that is the fact that not every crash has been mentioned on here yet!)

[Man of Kent1]

..........and, sadly, there were lots of them!

[WINGS1938]

At the time the Dartford news paper gave a report about the three Meteors that went over the town and I saw them over Crayford while on my paper round and it was a Saturday but not sure of  the year could be 1952 but think it was 1953.  So it would be good if I could find the details in the paper but a lot were lost due to a flood in 1953 so the Datrford Library told me some years back,  A school friend saw the pilot come out of the aircraft and he said that was near the Orpington hospital that he fell and that the aircraft flew on after it righted its self and some miles later it went in. Some say 25 miles before it came down. 

[John]

The headstone for F/O Muntz can be seen elsewhere on K&S.