Jet Provost XN547.
On 8th March 1989 the pilot of this No.1 Flying Training School aircraft was undertaking an aerobatic practice when it became inverted in a spin over the Malton area. Having lost control the pilot ejected safely at 5000 feet and the aircraft came down near Great Habton, just missing several farm workers and a nearby road. By the accounts in newspapers detailing the incident the pilotless aircraft flew underneath telephone wires before crashing in a field to the west of the village. The pilot had had no training on how to regain control from such a position the aircraft had got into.
This was one of a few incidents that I remember happening while I was growing up in the Ryedale area. I was at school at Malton at the time and heard about the crash there. As far as I recall, it was witnessed by Sixth Form students at the school. The school is on slightly rising ground and at the time and the Sixth Form common room was upstairs at the West Wing. The staircase that was used to access this room had a large glazed window that looked across to the north and with the school being on higher ground that the Vale of Pickering it would have given anyone a good view of the events.
Pilot - F/O William Kenneth Owen BA RAF (5204344S).
Historians Ken Reast, Albert Prichard, Eric Barton and I located the site in December 2006 with guidance from landowner Mr Easterby. Small fragments were still to be found in a field to the west of the village. The field where this aircraft crashed is private, access is not normally allowed. We thank Mr Easterby for allowing the visit and his staff for their patience.
William Owen received a commission on 16th September 1984 to the rank of Acting P/O and was graded as P/O on 15th July 1987. He received promotions to F/O on 15th January 1988 (with seniority of 15th July 1986) and F/Lt on 15th January 1990. He retired from the RAF on 15th July 1999.
