Eventually it suffered major damage when the undercarriage collapsed on landing January 4th 1951. On the 22nd of January 1951, TE 294 was struck off charge, and sold to the South African Metal Company, who in turn sold it to the SAAF Museum. Mr. Mark DeVries acquired the remains of TE 294 in South Africa and brought them to Vancouver, BC, Canada with the intention of eventually restoring the aircraft. Mr. DeVries agreed to sell the aircraft and surplus parts to the Comox Air Force Museum in late 1999 and TE 294 is now under restoration at Comox Air Force Museum to be restored as Y2K - a 442 Squadron wartime Mk IX Spitfire. Its mandate is to preserve Canadian West Coast aviation heritage, both civilian and military.
All programs are dependent upon fund raising activities to remain viable.
The museum's popular Heritage Air Park contains eight aircraft and in 1999 attracted over 14,000 visitors. The Supermarine Spitfire is celebrated as one of the most spectacular aircraft ever flown. Many Canadian squadrons during World War II operated them. The Spitfire's elliptical wings silhouette was recognized as a symbol of victory during the Battle of Britain. Many pilots today dream of flying a Spitfire as the ultimate aviation thrill.