On 8th March 1949 this No.204 Advanced Flying School aircraft was being given an air-test with an instructor and a pupil pilot flying the aircraft. Twenty five minutes after being in the air the aircraft was put into a dive and a loud bang was heard after which the aircraft's controls ceased to respond. The instructor ordered his pilot to exit the aircraft and then made his escape. Sadly the pupil was unable to get out in time and soon after the aircraft broke up in the air and then crashed on to the village of Huggate on the Yorkshire Wolds. Part of the aircraft damaged the village school house and injuring the schoolmaster's wife, a Mrs Cass and her daughter. The main part of the aircraft landed close by on farmland and caught fire but this section contained the pupil pilot and dispite a gallent rescue attempt by a local farmer, Mr Fred Germaine, he was already dead when pulled clear of the wreckage. This fire appears to have been the only one and houses nearby escaped fire-damage but Pocklington, Driffield and Wetwang's fire engines were called out. A propeller landed in the village church yard and reportedly cracked a gravestone.

Pilot (Instructor) - F/Lt Anthony Archibald Smailes RAF (174145), aged 25. Minor injuries.

Pilot (Pupil) - P.IV Michael Brenton Birks RAF (3046060), aged 20, of Saltburn, Yorkshire. Buried Driffield Cemetery, Yorkshire (grave 1088).

Civilian - Mrs Gabrielle Cass. Injured.

Civilian - Miss Patricia Cass, aged 11. Injured.

Anthony Smailes played rugby for Headingley Rugby Union Club and was an England trialist. He continued in playing rugby for forces teams after the War. He had received a commission in the RAFVR on 20th December 1943 to P/O on probation (emergency) and rose to F/O (war subs) on 20th June 1944 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 12th December 1945. He became a PoW while flying with 213 Squadron on 27th November 1944 but the circumstances surrounding this are not yet known. Having survived the War he was made F/O (permanent) on 1st September 1945 (with seniority back dated to 20th December 1944). As Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the Air Force Cross on 1st June 1953 in The Queen's Coronation Honours list. He rose to S/Ldr on 1st July 1954 and to W/Co on 1st January 1960. He retired at his own request on 8th January 1965.

The school was converted into a private dwelling many years ago.