Hornet F.3 PX347 at Church Fenton airfield.

On 8th February 1949 this 19 Squadron aircraft was flown on a training exercise that was also only the pilot's second solo flight in a Hornet. The exercise involved practising flying with just one engine running and practicing landing with just one engine. While making a landing at Church Fenton the aircraft appears to have either landed too far down the runway or too fast because the pilot believed that the aircraft was going to overshoot. He appears to have been landing on the North-East / South-West runway and fearing the aircraft would overshoot across the public road at the south-west end runway he attempted to swing the aircraft to avoid this. He could not stop the aircraft on the available airfield space, ended up running through the boundary hedge and the undercarriage collapsed. The photograph above shows where the aircraft came to rest at the south-west corner of the airfield site, it appears to show the road "Busk Lane" with a bicycle in the foreground. Unfortunately the squadron records make no mention of this incident.

Pilot - Name unknown.