Registration or Serial: VP969

Operator: Royal Air Force (RAF Transport Command / Maintenance Command)

Operating Base: Unknown

Current Airport Status: Unknown

Current Airport Name: Unknown

Aircraft Type & Background

A military (non-combat) aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force.

Attached to 45 Group RAF Maintenance Command Communications Squadron, this aircraft was assigned for the personal use of Air Marshall Sir Richard Jordan, who was C-in-C of Maintenance Command.*

Aircraft Accident Details

At the time of the accident, the aircraft had been flying from the Isle of Man to Renfrew (possibly, the former military airfield at Abbotsinch). At Renfrew, it was to collect passengers bound for the former RAF Andover airfield, which was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force base station. However, while flying over the Largs hills, the aircraft encountered turbulence and crashed just below Box Law. The pilot, Flt/Lt Barney Barclay, survived the impact.

* Many thanks to Michael of B.A.A. Glasgow Airport Fire Service for updating / verifying this information.

Accident Date

3 June 1958

Accident Site

Slaty Law / Box Law

Region: North Ayrshire

Nearest town or village: Largs

Lying on the hill shoulder, c.300 metres SW of Slaty Law on the North Ayrshire hills, and c.3.5 miles (c.5.5 km) NE of Largs.

Garmin GPS: NS 25828 60782

OS Grid Ref: 63 / NS 258 607

Hillwalking Notes

Easily accessible low rising moorland / hill slopes with some rough or boggy ground in places. Avoid approach from S of Box Law (except by quad bike track) as this area is extensively overgrown with dead gorse / bracken and is difficult to traverse on foot. Also, open and hazardous drainage ditch network in vicinity of Box Law is concealed from view by the heavy under / overgrowth.

Full hill walking equipment recommended, including map & compass (GPS optional). All hill areas subject to fluctuating weather conditions with extensive mist at times.

Present Condition

Parts of fuselage, wings, tail plane, engines and landing gear to be found onsite.

Related Links

Video Clip

• Steve White's 2007 Video at YouTube

Other Links

• de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre

• de Havilland Devon at RAF Museum

• de Havilland Gipsy Major engine

Right: Flight simulator image of de Havilland Sea Devon.

The photo on the right is of a Royal Navy aircraft, but it is very similar in design to the Royal Air Force aircraft featured below.

Flight simulator photos of this type available at

• Classic British Flight Sim

The photo in this section was kindly provided by
Brandan Binns (11)
and is used here by permission.

All photos in this section were kindly provided by
Giovanni Metra
(project researcher)
and are used here by permission.

Below: Overview of the de Havilland Devon as seen in July 2007

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: One of the main landing gear struts (underside of wing facing upward)

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: One of the Devon's two Gipsy Major engines.

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Below: One of the wing fuel tanks

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: Close-up view of wing fuel tank

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: One of the Devon's chassis stampings

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Below: Part of one of the Devon's instruction plates for ground / maintenance crews

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Below: Filter unit within wing

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: View of some internal parts

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: Close-up of nose landing gear assembly

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Below: Remainder of the Devon's tail assembly or empennage

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Below: Close-up of engine section

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: Another close-up view

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

Above: View from Devon wreck to Feuside Hill and Irish Law

Photo: 2007 G. Metra

All photos in this section were kindly provided by
Stevie
and are used here by permission.

Below: Overall view of de Havilland Devon wreck.

Foreground: Remains of aircraft empennage (tail assembly) including rudder, elevators, etc. Background: Main wing assembly.

Photo: 2007 Stevie

Above: The underside of the Devon's main wing assembly. The circular area in the centre of the nearer wing is the undercarriage wheel bay or gear well.

Photo: 2007 Stevie

Above: The Devon's main wing seen from another angle. A landing gear strut is visible on the wing, and the two aircraft engines can be seen lying just to the left of the wing assembly.

Photo: 2007 Stevie

Below: A closer view of the Devon wing, showing a landing gear strut protruding from the gear well, and the two engines lying to the left of the wing. These engines are now detached from the wings, but until the 1970s, they remained attached. (See older photos near the foot of this page.)

Photo: 2007 Stevie

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this section
copyright © 2007 Stevie

GPS data and video links above,
and all photos in this section were kindly provided by
Steve White
and are used here by permission.

Above: Overall view of de Havilland Devon wreck

Photo: 2007 S. White

Above: Close-up view of wings, with one engine lying directly in front and the other behind it.

Photo: 2007 S. White

Photo: 2007 S. White

Below: one of the main landing gear struts.

Photo: 2007 S. White

Above: Close-up view of landing gear strut.

Photo: 2007 S. White

All photos in this section were kindly provided by
Giovanni Metra
and are used here by permission.

Photo: 2006 G. Metra

Above: Close-up view of one of the Gipsy Major engines.

Photo: 2006 G. Metra

All photos in this section were kindly provided by
Steve White
and are used here by permission.

Above: Overall view of RAF de Havilland Devon wreckage, viewed from the tail.

Photo: 2006 S. White

Above: Close-up of empennage or tail plane assembly (horizontal & vertical stabilisers, etc.).

Photo: 2006 S. White

Below: Main wing assembly (underside) with landing gear strut visible. Engine (power plant) at top left background.

Photo: 2006 S. White

Below: Close-up of landing gear assembly remains.

Photo: 2006 S. White

Above: One of the two engines or power plants.

Photo: 2006 S. White

Above: de Havilland Devon wing assembly with registration letters (VP969) still partially visible. Remains of power plants or engines can be seen nearby.

Photo: 2006 S. White

Photo: 2006 S. White

Above: The Devon's right wing assembly. This may be the underside, as it was quite common for visitors to the site to turn the wreckage over to view the features or inscriptions underneath.

Photo: 1999 G. Lyons

Below: de Havilland Devon wings and engine block. Part of the detached vertical stabiliser / rudder assembly lies in the left foreground.

Photo: 1977 G. Lyons

Below: Close-up of part of Devon's wing nearest the fuselage.

Photo: 1977 G. Lyons

Above: This photograph was taken in 1975 - two years earlier than the last two shown. At this time, the two power plant or engine assemblies may still have been attached to the wing structure. In more recent years, they have become detached from the wing assembly.

Photo: 1975 G. Lyons

Above: de Havilland Devon wings and remains of engine housings or nacelles. Of the tail plane, the horizontal stabiliser lies on the ground toward the rear of the aircraft. The detached vertical stabiliser / rudder assembly lies just to the right of the aircraft's wings.

Photo: 1974 G. Lyons

Below: Close-up of de Havilland Devon wing assembly.

Photo: 1974 G. Lyons

To view other aircraft, please go to the Crash Index page.