Fatal crash of 1839 NAS Hellcat Mk. I FN427 on HMS Indomitable on October 17th 1944

HMS Indomitable was participating in Operation Millet, a British naval operation involving a naval bombardment and aerial strikes on Japanese positions in the Nicobar Islands, on 17–20 October 1944, in order to distract Japanese forces from an American invasion of the Philippine province of Leyte.

Sub-Lieutenant (A) Donald Munro Mackenzie had joined the 1839 Naval Air Squadron just under a year previously in November 1943 and can be seen attempting to land in Grumman Hellcat Mk. I FN427 after apparently striking the edge of the deck with his port undercarriage, detaching the wheel. Unfortunately his aircraft goes over the side and sinks within seconds, taking the pilot with it. He was only 21 years old at the time of his death.