Halifax DG229 at Carnaby airfield.
During the afternoon of 5th July 1944 this 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was to have been flown on an airtest. On take off from Blyton airfield at around 14.40hrs the crew raised the undercarriage too soon and it was damaged when the two main wheels touched the runway with it partly retracted. The crew got the aircraft properly into the air but realised that there was a problem with the undercarriage. They were ordered to fly to Carnaby to land on the emergency landing strip. Presumably after using up some fuel the aircraft landed at Carnaby at 16.28hrs but as had been thought, the undercarriage was damaged and collapsed on touching down. The damage sustained saw the aircraft written off.
Pilot (instructor) - F/O Gordon James Sharpe DFC RAAF (414266).
7 trainee crew - Names unknown.