Meteor VT326 near Settrington, Malton.

On 4th March 1952 the pilot of this aircraft was undertaking a low-level training flight when it flew into the ground between Settrington and Scagglethorpe, to the west of Malton. Witneses had seen it fly from the Wolds at low level and then follow the contour down the hillside it had just flown over and simply flown into the ground instead of pulling up. It had crashed close to or on top of a hedge and wreckage was spread over an area of three hundred yards. A Mrs Corner, who lived nearby, raised the alarm, with the police and other services being soon on the scene. The pilot was killed in the accident and at the Inquest to his death, the Coroner gave a verdict of "misadventure".

Pilot - P/O Peter Barton Brown RAF (2492698), aged 20, of Northwood, Middlsex. Buried Driffield Cemetery, Yorkshire.

The pilot was a National Service pilot, he received his commission to P/O on 14th November 1951 and at the time of this accident he had 239 hours of flying experience with twenty seven hours on Meteors. He was born at Pinder, Middlesex on 8th April 1931.

I do not know exactly where this aircraft crashed although the local press report suggests it is likely to be in the area contained in this photograph.