Avro 652 Anson

At around 06.50hrs on Saturday, 11th September 1937 this aircraft took off from Thornaby airfield with its crew instructed to carry out a Home Fleet exercise over a wide area off the east coast of Scotland. The crew of this aircraft carried out their task and made their return south with the aim of returning to Thornaby and they passed Newcastle just before 10.00hrs, the weather became poor as they flew south and thick fog was present towards the mouth of the River Tees. The crew making their way along the coastline towards the Middlesbrough area to return to Thornaby airfield and it was thought that the navigator had missed the turn inland when over the Tees estuary because of the poor visibility. Flying at a height of 750 feet the aircraft passed over Guisborough, but it was later believed that those on the aircraft mistook Guisborough to have been Greatham as the two towns looked similar from above and in the bad visibility the mistake could be made. The aircraft flew over Guisborough at low height and ploughed into the hillside above Belmont Mine at 10.45hrs killing all four on board instantly. Local people had heard the plane fly over just before the accident and also heard the engines fall silent after the resulting crash, many local people made their way up onto the moor to try and locate the site which they could not see because of the fog from the town below. Nothing could be done for the airmen, they were certified dead at the scene and were later carried down from the moor and taken to the Admiral Chaloner Hospital in Guisborough where they lay until removal for burial.
Crew:
P/O Leonard W. Lowden,
P/O Hugh G. McDonald,
P/O David Sorley Munro,
AC1 Thomas Douglas.
Source: www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk

The pilot was performing a night solo training flight at RAF Tangmere. Following several touch & go manoeuvres, he initiated a new approach. On final, the airplane impacted a tree with its right wing and crashed short of runway. The pilot was injured.

Following a maritime patrol mission, the crew was returning to RAF Tangmere. The twin engine airplane landed too far down the runway and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and came to rest. All four crew members from the 217th Squadron evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The pilot departed Manston Airport on a night solo training exercice on behalf of 48th Squadron. While performing manoeuvres at low altitude and at low speed, he lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a field. The pilot Sgt William Hinson was killed.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight out from Manston Airport. While flying at night in a snowstorm, the twin engine aircraft was struck by lightning. It went out of control and crashed in a field located in Ewell Minnis, between Folkestone and Dover, coming to rest upside down. Two crew members were injured while two others were killed. Two days later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.
Crew (48th Squadron) :
Gwilym James Maurice, pilot, †
Stanley McCabe, radio operator, †
George Edward Strangman, navigator, †
Reginald John Cooper, navigator.

The crew was performing a SAR mission after a De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly owned by the Daily Express newspaper was missing since a day. In limited visibility due to low clouds, the aircraft impacted the top of a hill, slid for few dozen metres and came to a halt near Leadhills. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all four crew members from the 269th Squadron were able to walk away to the nearest village to find help.

The crew was performing a ferry flight to RAF Sealand. The airplane overshot runway and hit a fence at the end of the terrain before crashing in a muddy field. Both crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Bircham Newton, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. A crew member was killed while both other occupants were injured.
Crew:
P/O Peter White, pilot, †
S/L William Michael M. Hurley, pilot,
AC1 Reginald Kenneth Birtwistle.

The crew from the 48th Squadron was performing a routine flight along the east coast of England when the left engine failed in flight. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft some 10 km off Whitstable, Kent. All four crewmen were quickly rescued. The airplane was towed to the harbor of Whitstable and later considered as damaged beyond repair. First accident involving an Avro 652 Anson Mk I.