Date & Time: Jul 1, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW224
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
MSN:
MW224
YOM:
1946
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at RAF Oakington and was due to complete an approach with the engine number one voluntarily off, followed by a go around procedure. While flying over the airfield at an altitude of some 150 feet, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (242nd Squadron):
F/Lt Douglas S. Cameron,
F/Lt Basil C. Hanson,
F/Lt John D. Hughes,
2nd Cl Raymond B. Hollis,
F/O George H. Salt.
Probable cause:
It was determined that, when the crew attempted to go around, he failed to increase power on all three remaining engines number two, three and four. In the mean time, the crew prematurely retracted the trailing edge flaps. The combination of a premature flap retraction and an insufficient engine power caused the aircraft to stall. Due to an insufficient distance between the aircraft and the ground, a recovery was not possible.