On 20th February 1943 this aircraft hit steel cables belonging to the overhead bucket system of Earle's Cement Works while attempting to make a forced landing after it suffered engine failure on a test flight. It was found that the engine failed because of a broken fuel or oil pipe. This aircraft was one of three prototypes of this specific design. The remains of the aircraft were salvaged and rebuilt as the first strike "TFII" prototype Firebrand and given the serial NV636. Earle's Cement Works was around a mile east of Brough airfield and it closed in the 1980s.
Pilot - F/Lt A Thomson RAF (F/Lt A C R Thompson). Slightly injured.
Firebrand DD810 was built to contract 156337/40/C.20b by the Blackburn Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Brough and first flown on 15th July 1942. It was accepted by Blackburn's on 31st July 1942 for maker's trials work and it remained on their charge until 5th October 1942. On 11th October 1942 it was ferried to RNAS Machrhanish for initial service trails and remained with them until 1st February 1943 when it moved to RNAS Arbroath to commence deck landing trails on HMS Illustrious which began eight days later. On 20th February 1943 it was in the Brough area when it suffered engine failure due to a fractured oil pipe, oil was sprayed on the windscreen and the pilot attempted wheels up landing at Brough but hit a cable on part of the Earle's Cement Works overhead bucket system, which broke. The aircraft made a forced landing at Brough and was assessed as being Cat.Z damaged (RNAS write off) but it was later rebuilt by Blackburn's as Firebrand MkII(P) and re-serialled as NV636 which first flew on 31st March 1943. On 2nd April 1943 it began torpedo trials and on 23rd July 1943 it was passed to the care of "C Sqn", A&AEE for performance trials with torpedoes. When the A&AEE were finished with it in November 1943 it was flown to RNAS Gosport for storage. Much later on 26th June 1945 it was struck off charge and flown back to Blackburn's at Sherburn in Elmet for ground trials work. After this date nothing more of the aircraft is known.