Blenheim Z6251 at Church Fenton airfield.
On 25th June 1941 this 54 O.T.U. aircraft ran out of fuel as the pilot was on approach to land at Church Fenton airfield following a night training flight.
A hurried landing was made on the airfield and the aircraft sustained damage, after assessment it was deemed too badly damaged to be repaired. An
investigation found that the fuel cocks had been set wrong and that the selected fuel tank had been left to run dry causing the engine to fail.
Blenheim Z6251 was built to contract B.119994/40 by A.V.Roe & Co. Ltd. at Chadderton and was awaiting collection in February 1941. After a period
of storage it was taken on charge by 54 OTU at Church Fenton. As a result of the incident detailed above Cat.E/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was written off.
Pilot - P/O Malcolm Richard Peter Oxley RAFVR (64319), aged 24, of Palmers Green, Middlesex.
P/O Malcolm Oxley was killed in another flying accident only days later when, on 3rd July 1941, he was the pilot of Blenheim L1438 that crashed near Colton, Tadcaster. He is buried at Kirkby Wharfe Cemetery, near Church Fenton and he was twenty four years old. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 13th April 1941.