On 14th July 1950 this No.203 Advanced Flying School aircraft was flown by a trainee pilot on his first solo in the Vampire type. The pilot made an approach to land, lowered the undercarriage and once near the ground he began to fly an overshoot so raised the undercarriage and would have applied more power to the engine required to then climb away. As soon as the undercarriage was raised the aircraft began to sink toward the runway and he could not prevent it hitting the ground. The incident probably occurred at Driffield airfield where the unit was based although it also used Carnaby airfield as a relief landing ground. It was thought that when the pilot looked at the undercarriage lever his attention was taken off where he was flying and allowed the aircraft to descend. The aircraft had a Cat.4R damage assessment made against it and it was sent for a repair in works at DeHavilland at Hatfield.
Pilot - Name unknown.