Thorney Island – Cosham – Bude – Trowbridge – Northampton – Spalding – Petersfield – Thorney Island

On September 30, 1954 at 11:45 AM, Thorney Island – Cosham – Bude – Trowbridge – Northampton – Spalding – Petersfield – Thorney Island experienced a crash involving Miles M.60 Marathon, operated by Royal Air Force - RAF, with the event recorded near Calne Wiltshire.

The flight was categorized as training and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The four engine airplane left RAF Thorney Island at 0944LT on a navigation exercice via Cosham, Bude, Trowbridge, Northampton, Spalding, Petersfield and back to Thorney Island at an assigned altitude of 6,000 - 7,000 feet. Enroute, the aircraft went out of control and entered a dive. Passing through the clouds, apparently at an altitude of 1,000 feet, both outer wings separated. At 300 feet, the aircraft made a last turn to the right before crashing in a near vertical position in a field. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew occupants were killed. Crew: Sgt Henry P. S. Fowler, pilot, P/O James Henry Hurlstone Green, staff navigator, F/O Eric Arthur Dench, student navigator, P/O Sumair Persad, student navigator. Passenger: Sgt Gordon H. E. Davies, air gunner. Source & photos: http://f-86.tripod.com/xa271.htm

Aircraft reference details include registration XA271, MSN 124, year of manufacture 1950.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.4389°, -2.0013°.