Mosquito PF658 'wheels up', Stelling Minnis, 1950

[John]

Mosquito PF658 was carrying out photographic exercises on 11th October 1950 - at a height of 20,000 feet and a speed of 180 knots the aircraft, without any warning, made a sudden and violent turn and then fell away into a steep dive. The pilot reported that after the first turn and dive, the aircraft seemed to 'stand on its tail' and then commenced a dive in the opposite direction. At 15,000 feet, by coarse use of the flying controls and after closing the throttles, the pilot managed to regain some control but as soon as the throttles were opened again the Mosquito became uncontrollable. By this time it was at a very low height and a forced landing was decided upon - a successful wheels-up landing was carried out in a field at Stelling Minnis, Kent, and the crew of two walked away without injury.

Examination of the Mosquito at the scene showed that the aircraft had touched down tail wheel first and slid along on its belly for 250 yards. Both propellors were torn off together with the starboard outer undercarriage door. This was significant, as the port undercarriage door was still intact. Other damage noted was that a large area of fabric was missing from the rudder, and it was obvious that this had occurred in flight rather than on landing. The conclusion drawn from all this was that the starboard undercarriage door had opened in flight, rendering the aircraft unstable.

Attached are five views of PF658 immediately after the belly landing.

[John]

Extracts from the statement of the Navigator of the Mosquito, Pilot Officer Chesney William Noel Kennedy. I've highlighted certain parts of the text as I found it interesting / amusing..

We then ran over FOLKESTONE, but were not in position to make a satisfactory photographic run. We then ran up on DOVER harbour, and made a photographic run on that point. During the run we started to drift off to starboard, and I told the pilot "this won't be a very good photograph, as we are drifting slightly off to starboard". The aircraft then altered course most violently to port, and I switched off the camera as the run was now spoiled. The aircraft then commenced to career about the sky in an eccentric manner. A popping noise came from the engines. I asked the pilot what was wrong, but he said "I don't know". Shortly after this the pilot said "Abandon aircraft, get out, get out". I was unable to move, and replied "I can't move - I am pinned here". My oxygen mask was strapped to my face all this time.

Then the aircraft straightened out, and I was able to leave the nose, putting on my parachute, and starting to open the inner door. Later I knocked the outer door open, without jettisoning it, while closing the inner door. At this time the pilot said "Hold on. lets collect our thoughts", or words to that effect. I asked the pilot what had happened, and he said that he didn't know, and that it felt as though someone had flicked the controls away from him. The pilot then said "we will try to make MANSTON - do you know where it is?". I said "No call them up for a bearing". At this moment another violent manoeuvre commenced, and I found myself pinned to my seat. Soon the pilot appeared to regain control, by which time we appeared to be no higher than the height of a normal circuit. The pilot told me he was going to make a crash landing in a field straight ahead.

I took my parachute pack off, and attempted to do up my straps. Before I was able to do this, the pilot said "brace, brace!", which I acknowledged, and braced myself against the instrument panel in front of me. The aircraft touched down, and I remember it running through a wire fence before stopping. I released the upper escape hatch, and the pilot having caught his clothing or harness on some obstruction, I left the aircraft first. The pilot followed and we stood in the field. A workman in the field approached, who spoke to the pilot, who though somewhat shaken, recognised him after a moment, and the latter said to me "this is going to cause some trouble, as I only live a few minutes from here".

The pilot went to a box telephone and rang his Flight Commander at R.A.F. Benson. We then walked a few yards to the pilots house, where I telephoned Folkestone police and gave them particulars of the accident..

[John]

The flight track of Mosquito PF658 on 11th October 1950.

[John]

Diagram produced at the Board of Inquiry, showing the position of the Mosquito in the field..

[Andy Saunders]

John

I am interested in this incident which involved a 237 OCU aircraft and wonder if you had the pilots name?

Are these reports at TNA Kew. If so, what is the document reference? Presumably an Avia piece?

[John]

The Pilot is given as Pilot Officer Nickoll, and the Navigator as Pilot Officer C. Kennedy. The file at the NA is BT 233/33.

You've probably spotted a deliberate mistake - I also added photo's of another Mossie which suffered tail damage in 1949 when the pilot suffered oxygen deprivation. These pics were in the file for comparison, as PF658 had similar damage. 

[John]

Two photographs showing the field that PF658 ended up in..

[John]

Another view of the damaged rudder of Mossie PF658..