Crash of Spitfire Mk.XVIIIe SM845

On Friday afternoon 26 May 2023, Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XVIIIe SM845 crashed while landing at Hildesheim Airport (Germany). The Spitfire which is registered as D-FIII (c/n 6S/672224) is owned by the Fliegerhorst GmbH & Co KG in Eschbach, Germany.

As Scramble reported on 18 December 2020, the fighter, still registered as G-BUOS was then flown to her new home at Bremgarten by John Romain. In January 2021 G-BUOS was cancelled and SM845 became D-FIII.

During the crashlanding the pilot was slightly injured but the aircraft received substantial damage. Looking at the photo, the damage seems repairable. Interesting to know that it is not the first time that SM485 crashed. On 21 August 2010, the plane, which was then registered as SE-BIN, crashed at Tynset, Norway. It took the life of its pilot B. Gerhardt.

More information on SM845 can be found here on Scramble.nl

Photo: Polizei Hildesheim, through Hildesheimer Algemeine