Prior to this incident this former 439 (RCAF) Squadron aircraft had been flown to be re-conditioned by the Airworks Limited at Ringway airfield, Manchester with this and a number of RCAF Sabres being due to be transferred and then flown out to other NATO countries. The Greek and Turkish Airforces were two of the countries receiving these aircraft during this period. A pilot from 439 (RCAF) Squadron was on detachment to serve as a test pilot at Airworks, with the aircraft on being tested and then flown abroad by No.137 (Transport) Flight, RCAF, based at Langar, Nottinghamshire.
On 14th December 1954 it was due to be airtested so a duty pilot was tasked with flying it. The aircraft took off from Ringway at 15.41hrs and the flight took it up to at least 20,000 feet. At 16.10hrs the pilot contacted the control tower at Ringway and received permission to descend. At this time it would have been dusk. Because the aircraft was to cross over the Pennines and owing to cloud cover he was permitted to descend no lower than 5,550 feet unless he could see the ground. He let down to 6,000 feet and made a further radio transmissions to say that he was descending visually through a hole in the cloud and that he was then at 3,000 feet. Unfortunately the aircraft had not yet crossed over the high ground and it descended into the Holme Valley but as it was flying west back to Manchester it then flew into the high ground of the Peak District. At 16.20hrs the aircraft unfortunately then crashed onto Holme Moss, on moorland below the transmitter station and the pilot was killed. The area was covered in deep snow at the time and the pilot was killed.
Pilot - F/O Patrick Vernon Robinson RCAF (32380), aged 27, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried North Luffenham Churchyard, Rutland.
Patrick Robinson and his gravestone at North Luffenham. He was serving with 439 Squadron, No.1 Fighter Wing, RCAF and was based at North Luffenham at the time of this accident but their record book states that he was posted in to 439 Squadron from 430 Squadron in August 1954 to "enable him to carry out test flights of aircraft at Ringway". His posting appears to have been to No.214 T.S.U. at Ringway. He had undertaken a refresher course at the Instrument Rating School earlier in December 1954.
Larger items still at the crash site when I visited the site on a very wet day in January 2007. There was a wreckage trail that could be followed at this time but all remaining wreckage has since been gathered up around a memorial cross.
Stencilling on a wing section.
Historians Albert Pritchard and Ken Reast at the crash site in 2000.