Fulmar DR737 at Clifton airfield.
On 28th December 1942 this 809 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm aircraft was being flown from it's land base to it's carrier detachment. Whilst over the York area it
suffered a failure of the constant speed unit which resulted in the engine catching fire. The pilot made an emergency landing at Clifton but it
crashed on landing. Different damage scales applied with the FAA than the RAF; Cat.Z damage was sustained; the equivalent of Cat.E in RAF terms,
and the aircraft was written off.
Pilot - S/Ldr J B Noble RAF.
Fulmar DR737 was built to contract B101971/40 by Fairey at Heaton Chapel and was delivered to Yeovilton Storage Section on 9th August 1942. It was later issued to 809 Squadron at Worthy Down for preparation for carrier detachment but suffered Cat.Z/FA damage in the incident at Clifton on 28th December 1942.