Bristol 170 Freighter | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft was performing a special flight from Hanoi to Saigon, carrying refugees leaving the Red River. In-flight, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and received the permission to divert to Pakse for an emergency landing. The airplane lost height and eventually crashed on the bank of the Sedone River, a tributary of the Mekong River. Three crew members and five passengers were seriously injured while 47 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21 near Somosierra: 23 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1953 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

EC-AEG

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bilbao – Madrid

MSN:

12797

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

While descending to Madrid-Barajas Airport inbound from Bilbao, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with clouds, rains showers and turbulences. Twice, the airplane suffered downdrafts and the second time, it lost 800 meters in few seconds and eventually hit the slope of the peak Lobo-Cebollera located east of Somosierra. A crew member was able to find help and rescuers arrived quite quickly on site. Ten people, including 4 crew members, were injured while 23 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed the aircraft suffered downdraft and lost altitude before colliding with a mountain.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21E in Mallala: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

A81-2

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

12805

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

While on an IFR training flight from Mallala by day in clear weather, the port mainplane parted from the fuselage. The aircraft crashed into a wheat field 2 miles from the RAAF Station. The three crew members were killed. The crash set the wheat field ablaze and the RAAF Mallala fire crews had to extinguish the the field fire to reach the crash site. The port wing was found 1.5 miles away.
Crew:
F/Lt J. D. Entwhistle,
F/O Leonard Murphy
F/O Donald Shillinglaw.
Source: http://www.goodall.com.au

Probable cause:

RAAF investigation determined that the wing was placed under severe load during a separate training flight on the morning of the accident's day. The morning exercise included recovery from unusual attitudes using only a limited instrument panel. On two occasions the training captain placed the aircraft into a steep diving turn, recovery from which pulled high G force, to the extent a second pilot seated at the Navigator position blacked out. The subsequent investigations traced the problem to fatigue failure in the wing root ends and main spar structure. Bristol produced a modification which was proven successful. Most British and European civil B170s were flown to Western Airways at Weston-super-Mare to have the extensive modification carried out at Bristol expense. Australian B170s had went to Bristol Aviation Services at Bankstown to have their wings removed and the modifications installed.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 31M near Blenheim: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1953 at 0859 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

NZ5908

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Woodbourne - Whenuapai

MSN:

13061

YOM:

1952

Location:

Blenheim

Marlborough District Council

Country:

New Zealand

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 06 at Woodbourne AFB in Blenheim, while climbing, the pilot-in-command made a turn to right when the aircraft entered clouds. Six minutes later, the twin engine airplane hit the slope of a mountain located near Taylor Pass, about 12 km southeast of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Richard Webb,
F/Lt James Brookes,
F/Sgt Phillip Diebert,
Sgt John Collins,
Sgt Thomas Dean.

Probable cause:

It was determined that Captain Richard Webb who was the commanding officer at Whenuapai boarded the flight at Woodbourne. He was not a qualified pilot on the Bristol 170 but was at controls when the accident occurred. It was established that he was seating in the left hand seat while the captain on this flight occupied the right hand seat as pilot in second. The departure was completed under IFR from runway 06 and the airplane entered clouds during the initial climb. Instead of continuing strait ahead over the Cook Strait, the airplane turned to the right over a mountainous area. Navigation instruments were not tuned to the correct beacon (Blenheim NDB), which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21 in Berlin

Date & Time: Jan 19, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

G-AICM

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Northolt – Berlin

MSN:

12756

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Northolt to Berlin-Tempelhof and the approach was completed in low visibility due to foggy conditions. On final, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed on a railway road located few hundred yards from runway 09R threshold. Both pilots were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure on final approach caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter in Lahore: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

G799

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lahore – Peshawar

MSN:

12824

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances few minutes after takeoff from Lahore Airport, killing both crew members.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Wayfarer 21P in Khewra: 18 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1952 at 0700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

G783

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lahore – Peshawar

MSN:

12810

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

On a flight from Lahore to Peshawar, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, went out of control and crashed near the city of Khewra. All 18 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 1A in Morón AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

T-37

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Morón - Morón

MSN:

12765

YOM:

1946

Location:

Morón AFB

Buenos Aires province

Country:

Argentina

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a night training mission at Morón AFB. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed 2 km past the runway end. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Carlos Enrique Rodriguez,
1st Lt Jose Ricardo Vidal,
Adj Aladino Jacinto Sandrini,
Maj Hermes Petrini.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21E in Pakistan

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

G780

Flight Type:

Military

MSN:

12803

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in Pakistan. Occupant fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21E in Old Kaduna

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

VR-NAX

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kaduna – Ibadan

MSN:

12784

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching Ibadan, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to return to Kaduna. On final approach, both engines stopped and the pilot-in-command attempted a belly landing 3 km short of runway threshold. The aircraft came to rest and was damaged beyond repair while all occupants were evacuated safely.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

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