Spitfire AD571 at Dishforth airfield.
On 5th May 1945 this 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight aircraft took off from Dishforth at 09.55hrs for an air-test, at 10.35hrs the pilot was nearing the airfield on the downwing side of the airfield circuit and flying at fifty feet the pilot relised that he was going to undershoot and attempted to apply power to the engine, the engine failed to picke up speed and the aircraft landed in the undershoot area. Unfortunately the port main tyre burst, the aircraft swung off the line of flight and then both undercarriage legs collapsed. The pilot escaped injury but the aircraft was badly damaged. 1695 Flight was a unit set up to act as a target towing flight to train air gunners of bomber aircraft and had only just moved to Dishforth from Dalton the previous month.
Pilot - F/O Walter William Kasper RCAF (J/85769)