Jet Provost T.4 XP617 damaged over Wombleton airfield, landed at Leeming airfield.
On 3rd May 1963 Jet Provost XP617, of No.3 Flying Training School, was being flown over disused Wombleton airfield with an instructor demonstrating how to make a
practice forced landing to a visiting army officer who was being given air experience. The approach was normal and it overflew the former airfield but did not touch down or land. The instructor then noticed that a bird was directly ahead of
the aircraft. He pushed the nose down and avoided the bird but he then noticed that a line of telephone wires with poles was directly in front of him. He pulled the nose up sharply
but was unable to avoid flying through the wires. The aircraft remained flyable and after overflying their base at Leeming airfield a normal landing was made there. Damage to the
starboard wing and nose wheel doors was found. Cat.2 damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site.
Looking at where the telephone wires are today and assuming they were there then, the most obvious location to suggest where this incident occurred was due west of the East-West facing runway.
Pilot - F/O Peter James William Creigh RAF (2620296).
Passenger - Name unknown.
Jet Provost XP617 was built to contract KC/E/041 by Hunting Aircraft Ltd. at Luton and was awaiting collection on 27th April 1962. On 1st May 1962 it was taken on charge by No.3 Flying Training School
at Leeming. On 3rd May 1963 Cat.2/FA damage resulted following the incident at Wombleton and it was repaired on site to be returned to the unit. On 17th September 1964 it was transferred to No.7 Flying
Training School at Church Fenton. It later went to No.1 Flying Training School at Linton on Ouse though no date for the transfer is known. On 21st March 1966 it was transferred to No.2 Flying Training School
at Syerston. On 22nd December 1969 it went to 27 MU at Shawbury but on 23rd December 1969 it was declared a non-effective airframe. On 18th December 1970 it was sold for scrap to B.A.Taylor and was broken up.