Abbreviations commonly used on Air Ministry Forms 78 (Aircraft Movement Cards) 1180 (Accident Record Cards)
43 Grp D/A 43 Group Deposit Account - a list of aircraft awaiting - or undergoing - repair or modification.
AACU Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit
AAP Aircraft Acceptance Park
A/C Aircraft
ACSEA Air Command South East Asia
ADU Aircraft Delivery Unit
AEF Air Experience Flight
AFS Advanced Flying School
AGS Air Gunnery School
ANS Air Navigation School
ASS Air Signals School
ASU Aircraft Storage Unit
ATFERO Atlantic Ferry Organisation
AW/CN Awaiting Collection
AGT Airwork and General Trading – a firm undertaking work as part of the Civilian Repair Organisation
AST Air Service Training -
BATF Beam/Blind Approach Training Flight
BBOC Brought Back On Charge
BCBS Bomber Command Bombing School
BDTF Bomber Defence Training Flight
BFTS Basic Flying Training School
BGS Bombing & Gunnery School
CF Communication Flight
Conversion Flight
CFS Central Flying School
CGS Central Gliding School
Central Gunnery School
(C) OTU (Coastal) Operational Training Unit
CRO Civilian Repair Organisation
CRP Contractor’s Repair Party
CS(A) Controller of Supply (Aircraft)
DBF Destroyed by Fire
DBR Damaged Beyond Repair
E/F Engine Failure
EAAS Empire Air Armament School
ECFS Empire Central Flying School
EFTS Elementary Flying Training School
E&RFTS Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School
FA Flying Accident
FB Flying Battle
FBSU Flying Boat Servicing Unit
FEAF Far East Air Force
FIS Fighter Instructors School
F/L Forced Landing
FTFlt Ferry Training Flight
FTS Flying Training School
FTU Ferry Training Unit
FRU Fleet Requirements Unit
GAL General Aircraft Limited - part of the CRO
GR General Reconnaissance
GSU Group (or Ground) Support Unit
HCU Heavy Conversion Unit
HGCU Heavy Glider Conversion Unit
HTCU Heavy Transport Conversion Unit
IFTS Initial Flying Training School
MCU Mosquito Conversion Unit
Meteorological Conversion Unit
MEAF Middle East Air Force
MSFU Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
MU Maintenance Unit
NEA Non-Effective Airframe
OADF/U Overseas Aircraft Delivery Flight/Unit
(O)AFU (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit
OCU Operational Conversion Unit
OTU Operational Training Unit
(P)AFU (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit
PATP Packed Aircraft Transit Pool
RAAA Repaired and Awaiting Allocation
RFS Reserve flying School
RIW Repaired in works
RNDA Royal Navy Deposit Account
ROS Repaired on site
RS Radio School
RSU Repair & Salvage Unit
SFTS Service Flying Training School
SOC Struck Off Charge
SoTT School of Technical Training
Sqd Squadron
Sqn Squadron
UAS University Air Squadron
U/S Unserviceable
VGS Volunteer Gliding School
WFU Withdrawn from use
WS Wireless School
Damage Categories
Before 1941
Cat. U Undamaged
Cat. M(u) Capable of being repaired on site by the operating unit
Cat. M(c) Beyond the unit’s capacity to repair
Cat. R(B) Repair on site is not possible; the aircraft must be dismantled and sent to a repair facility
Cat. W Write-off
1941 - 1952
Cat. U Undamaged
Cat. A Aircraft can be repaired on site
Cat. Ac Repair is beyond the unit capacity, but can be repaired on site by another unit or a contractor)
Cat. B Beyond repair on site, but repairable at a Maintenance Unit or at a contractor’s works
Cat. C Allocated to Instructional Airframe duties (for ground training)
Cat E Write-off
Cat. E1 Write-off, but considered suitable for component recovery
Cat. E2 Write-off and suitable only for scrap
Cat. E3 Burnt out
Cat. Em Missing from an operational sortie (Missing aircraft were categorised ‘Em’ after 28 days)
Key Card information Form 1180 Accident Report Cards
Initially the F1180 Card had plain edges and coding for statistical analysis was given on the reverse as letter then number.
The breakdown is:-
T - Taxying Phase
T1 - Bad Surface of aerodrome
T2 - Hitting Obstructions
T3 - Hitting other aircraft
T4 - Harsh use of brakes
T5 - U/c drill
T5a - U/c drill at end of landing run
T6 - Various errors
T7 - Airframe defects
T8 - Misc causes
T9 - Unknown or not determined
O - Take off phase
O1 - U/c retracted too soon
O3a - Hit another aircraft
O3b - Hit Obstruction
O3c - Loss of control
O3d - Other errors
O4 - Other causes
O4a - Other causes , Airframe defect
O4b - Other causes, Misc
O5 - Unknown or not yet determined
O13d - Swing
F - Flight Phase
F1a - Unauthorised low flying or aerobatics
F1b - Loss of control in good visibility
F3 - Loss of control in bad visibility (cloud etc)
F4 - Flying into ground, sea or high ground in bad visibility
F7a - Other errors, Collisions
F7b - Other Errors , others
F8a - Other causes airframe defects
F8b - Other causes Miscellaneous
F9 - Unknown or not yet determined
L - Landing Phase
L1 - Overshot
L1a - Overshot flaps up
L1b - Overshot, others
L1c - Overshot - U/c damaged - U/c collapsed
L2 - Undershot
L3al - Pilot error forgot
L3ai - Pilot error remembered but did not operate correctly
L3b - Technical Defect
L3c - Not known whether 3a or 3b
L6 - Heavy landing
L6a - Heavy landing, hit other aircraft except after overshoot etc
L6b - heavy landing , hit obstructions
L7 - Swing
L8a - With drift
L9 - Errors other specified
L9a - Loss Control
L - Landing Phase cont:
L9b - Others
L10 - Errors not specified
L11 - Rough surface
L12 - Other Causes
L12a - Airframe defects
L12b - Misc
L13 - Unknown not yet determined
L14 - Engine failure of take off, subsequent error by pilot
L15 - Engine failure on take off, others
L16 - Engine failed in flight, subsequent error by pilot
L17 - Engine failure in flight, others
L18 - Engine failed during landing, subsequent error by pilot
L19 - Engine failed during landing , others
L20 - Engine failed subsequent error by pilot
L21 - Engine failed, others
L22a - Forced landing , bad Weather
L22b - Forced landing, lost , bad Weather
L22c - Forced landing, lost, bad Weather, fuel shortage
L22d - Forced landing, bad Weather, fuel shortage
L23a - Forced landing , Lost
L23b - Forced landing , Lost , Fuel shortage
L23c - Forced landing , Fuel shortage
S or M - Stationary
S1 or M1- U/c maloperated on stationary aircraft
S2 or M2 - Others
F1180 key card data AHB(RAF)