Date:	Saturday 24 September 1949
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	16 Sqn RAF
Registration:	VV228
MSN:	EEP42473
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Recke -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Gütersloh (GUT/ETUO)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
De Havilland Vampire VV228: Written off (destroyed) 24 September 1949 when caught fire in flight, and broke apart, over Recke, 10 miles west of Osnabruck.

The pilot was on his second sortie of the day to the gunnery ranges, when smoke as seen coming from the right hand side of the engine bay. Shortly afterwards, there was an explosion, portions of the aircraft came away from the airframe, and the aircraft turned on a reciprocal course. (Possibly trying to get back to base?)

Flames were then observed coming from the centre section of the aircraft, and the Vampire entered a flat spin, before crashing with little forward movement. The hood was not jettisoned, and it seems that the pilot made no attempt to bail out from the aircraft. As a result, the pilot was killed in the crash impact

Pilot: Flying Officer Norman Freeman, RAF - killed on active service 24/09/49

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.93. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 89)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings (p 535)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2462: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578308
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Dec-2019 16:13	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Dec-2019 17:22	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative, Operator]
08-Jan-2020 21:19	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
11-Jun-2020 19:03	TB	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative]