During the morning of 22nd October 1952 this 215 Advanced Flying School aircraft was to be flown on a training exercise at Finningley airfield with the pilot briefed to carry out a series of circuits and landings but to then apply power on touching down and take off again. The aircraft initially took off from Finningley at 09.31hrs to begin the exercise and flew a left hand circuit of the airfield. Three minutes later had made radio contact to state he was turning to make a final approach to land but it then made a steep banked turn, lost height and crashed around a mile short of the airfield, north-west of Blaxton. The aircraft disintergrated and the pilot was killed.
It was felt that the pilot had overshot his turn on to the final approach. A crosswind was blowing at the time and may have affected the aircraft. The pilot attempted to regain the line by putting the aircraft into a more steep turn but the aircraft probably then stalled, lost height and the port wing hit the ground near Blaxton. The aircraft then cartwheeled and broke up.
Pilot - P/O Ray William Tait RAF (3510192), aged 19. Buried St.Katherines Churchyard, Merstham, Surrey.