Aviation News – A rare World War II Curtiss P-40C Warhawk fighter aircraft sustained serious damage during an emergency wheels-up landing near Royston following an engine failure during a routine check flight from IWM Duxford Airfield.
The historic aircraft, registered as G-CIIO (ex 41-13357), was undergoing a post-maintenance test flight on 28 August when its engine developed a critical mechanical issue mid-air. The warbird is operated by The Fighter Collection (TFC), a premier historic aviation organization based at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Officials from the organization publicly disclosed the details of the incident on 4 September 2026, confirming that while the airframe suffered substantial structural damage, no ground injuries or secondary property damage occurred during the off-field touchdown.
Executing a off-field touchdown without landing gear is a calculated emergency maneuver designed to prevent high-speed flipping on uneven terrain. The pilot executed a textbook forced landing into a remote field, utilizing the belly of the airframe to absorb the energy of the impact safely. Immediately after the aircraft ground-stopped, the uninjured aviator self-evacuated the cockpit and successfully contacted emergency services, guiding the responding Duxford Fire & Rescue Team directly to the remote accident site.
“The nature of the issue resulted in the pilot executing a textbook wheels-up, forced landing,” The Fighter Collection stated in an official release regarding the event. “The pilot was able to self-evacuate the airplane and direct the emergency teams to the remote site.”
The unexpected incident highlights the ongoing technical challenges of maintaining and flying vintage World War II combat aircraft. Aviation enthusiasts and historians will closely monitor The Fighter Collection for further updates regarding potential restoration efforts for the rare fighter.
The forced landing represents a significant setback for the historic aviation community, given the extreme rarity of operational P-40C Warhawks. However, the successful emergency recovery highlights the high standard of training and skill required to operate vintage military warbirds safely. The coming months will reveal whether the damaged airframe can be restored to airworthy status once again.
