Lysander V9814 at Sherburn in Elmet airfield.

On 5th June 1943 this aircraft was to be ferried between airfields by an ATA ferry pilot. At 15.10hrs on take off from Sherburn in Elmet airfield the aircraft was found to be very nose heavy and the pilot was unable to correct the flying attitude of the aircraft by adjusting the trimming. It appears that a circuit of the airfield was flown and then on landing the undercarriage then collapsed. It was later found that the trimming control adjustment had jammed and it was also discovered that a previous pilot had removed some ballast weights to compensate for carrying a passenger and on finding that the aircraft was then nose-heavy did not report it or replace the ballast.

Pilot - F/O Helen Marcelle Harrison-Bristol ATA (W.75). Of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.