During the night of Thursday, 11th October 1956 the crew of this No.33 Squadron aircraft were instructed to undertake a practice interception exercise to progress the pilot through his training that would see him being gain more experience that was needed to see him qualify as an operational pilot. The aircraft sat with the engine running for ten minutes prior to taking off and took off from Driffield airfield at 13.30hrs on the north-east to south-west runway that put the aircraft in a direct line with Kirkburn village. The night was described as being very dark. After taking off the aircraft did not climb away but flew close to the ground toward Kirkburn village. It flew through and struck trees on the village side of the A614 Kirkburn by-pass road, between the road and the village school. There then appears to have been a gap of some hundred metres before another tree was hit, and then a further gap of several hundred metres before it flew through more trees on the south-west side of the village but with it's port wing significantly down. The wing tip struck the verge at the side of the road, detached a fuel tank from it and made a gouge in the grass. It also passed through three sets of electricity wires and also telephone wires before finally crashing and distingrating in a field half a mile southwest of the village. Sadly both young men flying in the aircraft were killed.
A detailed examination followed and various avenues were followed, these included the possible extending of airbrakes on the ground prior to taking off could have affected climbing and whether waiting on the ground with the engine running may have seen fumes enter the cockpit and affect the pilot. Nothing conclusive was proven so that it was concluded that the accident was down to pilot error. The field in which this aircraft crashed had seen Harrow K6995 crash on 5th April 1938 that had seen the deaths of five airmen.
Pilot - F/O John Northen RAF (4144172), aged 23. Buried Stainby Churchyard, Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Navigator - F/O Eric Curry RAF (4135586), aged 22. Buried Haugh Road Cemetery, Rawmarsh, Yorkshire.