Avro 652 Anson

The aircraft took off from Dumfries at 2017LT on the 22nd February for a night navigation exercise around the northern Irish Sea / North Channel area. The intended route was Dumfries - Silloth - Mull of Galloway - Rathlin Island - 55'50"N 06'40"W (a point some 8 miles off the west coast of Islay) - Mull of Galloway - Silloth - Dumfries, a total distance of 380 miles. Also an Infra-Red bombing exercise was to be conducted at Whithorn (south of Wigtown on the Silloth - Mull of Galloway leg) on both the outward and return legs. The progress of the flight was reported by radio and ground tracking as being slightly off course to port between the Mull of Galloway and Rathlin and off course to starboard on he return leg to the Mull of Galloway from off Islay. The crew were able to use the Occult navigation light at West Freugh on the return leg to correct their course to arrive over Withorn for their second pass at the IR target but visibility was reported by them as poor so they did not carry out the IR bombing exercise. At this point they decided to set a direct course to Dumfries from the West Freugh Occult with radio navigation assistance from Wigtown. At 2336LT the aircraft was reported by West Freugh to be almost due North of them with the crew reporting that they were flying at 3,000 feet. A couple of minutes later the aircraft flew into the western side of Cairnsmore of Fleet at just over 2,100 feet and only a mile north of their intended track. The aircraft impacted a large patch of boulders and much of the forward end was badly damaged by the impact, the aircraft carried on up the slope for a short way before coming to a halt, there was no fire following the crash. When the aircraft did not arrive at Dumfries it was declared missing and a search was begun at dawn on the 23rd, in the mean time and despite his injuries the pilot Sgt McLeod set off on foot from the crash site, arriving at Bardrochwood Farm at the foot of Cairnsmore. It was 2100LT on the 23rd before the crash site was reached by the rescue party from Wigtown and Lalonde was rescued. The other crew members had either died in the crash or succumbed to their injuries and the cold before help arrived, both were recorded as having happened by the RAF Dumfries Medical Officer.
Crew:
Sergeant N. J. McLeod, pilot
P. J. Lalonde, navigator
John Morgan Cooley, bomb aimer, †
Warrant Officer Jack James Mount Ward, wireless operator, air gunner and instructor, †
Sergeant Mervyn Charles Simpson, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Source: http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk

En route, while cruising in a snowstorm, aircraft hit Mt Lyn Cowlyd located some 15 km southeast of Bangor, Wales. The pilot was killed while all three other occupants were injured.
Crew:
Sergeant Joseph William Francis Grant, pilot, †
Sergeant Robert Birch, navigator,
Warrant Officer Thomas Renni Renton, wireless operator,
Mervyn John Byrne, wireless operator.

The crew was performing a cross country training exercise on behalf of the 8th AFU. The twin engine aircraft left RAF Mona, in Anglesey, at 1505LT. While cruising north of Wale at a height of some 5,000 feet, the pilot made a left turn when he lost control of the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sergeant Melville O. Samuels, pilot,
Sergeant Thomas M. Clothier,
Charles H. M. Folkard,
Lieutenant Jan M. Radecki,
Sergeant Sylvester K. Yates.

Shortly after takeoff from Oklahoma City-Will Rogers Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft went out of control and crashed. A pilot was killed while the second occupant was seriously injured.

The crew left RAF West Freugh at 1953LT for a night training exercise. While approaching the Isle of Man, the crew encountered engine problems and the pilot elected to make an emergency landing in poor weather conditions when the twin engine aircraft hit a cliff located 1,5 mile from Port Soderick. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (4th AFU):
F/Sgt C. G. Eckersley, pilot,
Sgt H. Peters, navigator,
Sgt G. R. Tippett, bomb aimer,
Sgt H. C. Thompson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt L. J. Henley, wireless operator.
Source: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=144966

The crew was completing a training flight in the region of Barmouth, Wales. While cruising at a height of 1,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Bwlch y Llan and was destroyed by impact forces. All 4 occupants were killed.
Crew (9th AFU):
P/O Frederick Roger Bullock, pilot,
P/O John Alexander McIntosh, navigator,
P/O John William Butcher, navigator,
Sgt Henry John Noy, wireless operator and air gunner.

The crew was completing a training exercise. For unknown reason, the aircraft overshot and collided with a boundary fence. While all four crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was engaged in a low-level bombing practice on a target located in the Sinclair's Bay, off Wick, Scotland. After dropping a practice bomb from a height of 50 feet, the aircraft was seen to pull up to about 200 feet, and attempt to turn back onto the target. A high G stall occurred on the turn, and the aircraft crashed into the sea. The area was searched by ASR launches and a Walrus aircraft but apart from aircraft wreckage, no survivors were found.
Crew (1693 Flt):
P/O Laurence Edward Charnaud, pilot,
F/Sgt David Lindsay Farndell, navigator,
F/Sgt Andrew Wilson, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Bernard John Yard, wireless operator and air gunner,
T/Sgt Frederick E. L. Stilwell, wireless operator and air gunner.
Source: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=161374

The crew were on a night cross country navigation exercise from their home base of Jurby, on the northern plain of the Isle of Man. Most routes flown from Jurby were circular tours of the Irish Sea. While flying west, presumably on a clockwise orbit of the Irish Sea, the aircraft flew into to gentle grassy slopes of the Carneddau. At about 12:30 on the 1st December the RAF Mountain Rescue team based at Llandwrog were informed by the station's Flying Control Officer that two of the aircraft's crew had walked down to Bethesda, after having spent the night in the aircraft. The MRT began their search from Bethesda police station, they were then directed to the village store where they found the two aircrew. The two crew were unable to avail the team members of the exact location of the aircraft, having walked down in low visibility. They then began a search of the area to the north and west of Carnedd Llewellyn but found nothing before sunset, when they had to abandon the search and return to base. The second day of the search started at 07:30 with the team searching around Carnedd Dafydd. At 11:00 a third member of the crew was reported as having walked off the mountain to Bethesda. He was able to inform the Police more about where the aircraft, and the now lone fourth crewman was located. The hill parties were recalled and then drove to Tal-y-bont before proceeding up the track to Melynllyn to search the mountains in that area. At about 15:30 one of the search parties came across the wreck in the area between Foel Grach and Garnedd Uchaf and the cliffs of Craig y Dulyn. The fourth crew member was found alive in the aircraft's turret. He was reported to be "suffering from dehydration, starvation and a fractured foot, but his spirits were high". He was recovered by a stretcher party, arriving at the Ambulance after nightfall.
Crew (5th AOS):
Sgt James A. Knight, pilot,
Sgt Roy Gilbert, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Reed, navigator,
LAC Thomson, navigator.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales/walesef909.htm

During a training flight from RAF Penrhos, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Craig Cwm shrouded in cloud and located southeast of Penygroes. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (9th AFU):
Sgt Jozef Szczerbaty, pilot,
F/Sgt James Davies, air gunner,
AC2 Ronald Ross, air gunner,
AC2 Philip Andrew Shields, air gunner,
AC2 Herbert Henry Sutton, air gunner.