In 1942, a flight lieutenant (whose name is unknown) stationed at Montrose, crashed into the runway not long after takeoff, and was killed instantly. A week before the crash, he had quarrelled with the mechanic working on his plane. The mechanic became subject to an Inquiry but after little evidence of tampering, the charges were dropped. Shortly after the crash, there were reports of a ghost appearing at the airfield wearing a flying suit and goggles. The ghost was known to be encountered along the flight line, emerging from the fog. In 1949, Montrose had become a permanent training station, by which time new cadets were briefed on the ghost. Dozens of sightings occurred of an officer in a white flight suit and a hat until the airfield closed in the 1950s. On 27 May 1963, Sir Peter Masefield was flying his Chipmunk monoplane close to Montrose while en route from Dalcross to Shoreham, when he saw what he believed was a 70-horsepower B.E.2 biplane; the pilot was wearing a leather flying helmet, goggles and a flying scarf. Masefield landed when he believed he had seen it crashing, but on reaching the ground discovered that there was no plane or crash site.