Fairchild Argus EV783 near Sherburn in Elmet airfield.
On 18th April 1943 this aircraft was being flown at 300 feet above the ground near Sherburn airfield in clear weather when the pilot had to make a turn to avoid another aircraft. This aircraft lost height and struck an overhead electricity cable, it sustained damage so the ATA pilot made a forced landing in a field.
Pilot - Second Officer Lawrence Bertram Tompkins ATA (M.733).
This aircraft was built as a Fairchild Forwarder by Kreider-Reisner Aircraft at Hagerstown, Maryland, USA under the US serial 41-38847. It was then ordered by the British under B.P.C. contract DA-173 and was transported to the UK by sea, arriving at Liverpool docks in April 1942. The aircraft was assembled and tested at No.1 AAU at Speke and was then taken on charge by the ATA but no details of which part of the ATA received it are known. On 18th April 1943 it was being ferried by a pilot of 7 F.P.P. at Sherburn when sustained minor Cat.A/FA damage there. No details of how the aircraft was repaired are yet known but it was returned to ATA charge and remained with them until the ATA disbanded in September 1945. After this date the aircraft was placed in MU store and on 18th April 1947 it was returned to USAAF charge but no details surrounding this and after this date are known either.