Training | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing a local training sortie at Castle AFB, consisting of touch and go manoeuvre. After touchdown, the undercarriage failed and the airplane slid on the runway before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the landing gear lever latch after landing, causing the aircraft to sink on runway.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-6 Neptune in Oran: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

Operator:

Registration:

22.F.4

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Oran - Oran

MSN:

6026

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Oran-Es Senia Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed 3 km from the airfield. All eight crew members were killed.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C.1 at RAF Colerne

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings

Operator:

Registration:

TG615

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Colerne - Colerne

MSN:

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training sortie at RAF Colerne and the approach was attempted with one engine voluntarily inoperative to test asymmetric thrust. On final, the aircraft rolled left and right, lost height and hit trees. The pilot-in-command started a go-around maneuver when the airplane stalled and crashed in flames in a prairie located about 1,3 mile short of runway threshold. All five crew members were rescued while the aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Douglas A-26 Invader in East Dayton: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1957 at 1659 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Wright Patterson - Wright Patterson

Location:

Dayton

Ohio

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight and departed Wright-Patterson AFB in the day. On approach, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames into several houses located in 1843 Tuttle Avenue, East Dayton. At least four houses were destroyed. Both pilots as well as two people on the ground were killed.
Crew:
Maj James Melancon, pilot,
Cpt Wilho R. Heikkinen, copilot.
Both civilians killed were Mildred VanZant and Walter Geisler.

Probable cause:

An investigation determined that a loose engine cowling moved forward into the propeller.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 in Falstone: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Varsity

Operator:

Registration:

WL640

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight out from RAF Thorney Island. While cruising at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the aircraft went out of control, entered a spin and dove into the ground. At an altitude of 1,500 feet, the airplane disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in a field located in Falstone. All five crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

A Board of Inquiry into the accident was held but was unable to determine the cause of the accident. Only those on board knew what had really occurred but our records indicate that the Board, whilst unable to say for certain what had happened, concluded that the mostly likely reason that the aircraft broke up was that it had been overstressed but there was no evidence to say why this had occurred and the Board could only conjecture.

Crash of a Scottish Twin Pioneer 1 off Yapen Islands: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1957 at 1008 LT

Type of aircraft:

Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer

Operator:

Registration:

JZ-PPX

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Biak - Biak

MSN:

509

YOM:

1957

Location:

Yapen Islands

Special Region of Papua

Country:

Indonesia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Biak-Mokmer Airport at 0930LT for a local training flight. After he completed several touch and go, the captain requested the permission to modify the training program to perform other maneuvers. While performing a turn to the right off the Yapen coast, the airplane lost its right wing and crashed into the sea 13 km offshore and sank. The aircraft was lost and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The Commission is of the opinion that, on the ground of the available evidence of the accident with the Twin Pioneer G-AOEO, the accident with the JZ-PPX has to be put down with to certainty nearing probability to the failure of the V-brace strut due to fatigue, because both aeroplanes were equipped with the same type of liftstrut and V-brace construction and because both aeroplanes were used in the same manner. The JZ-PPX carried out many instruction flights at a low altitude, many take-offs and landings, many manoeuvres with high flight loads, possibly up to the maximum loads. The G-AOEO also carried out many demonstration flights at a low altitude with man take-offs and landings, many manoeuvres, also with possibly maximum loads. The term of life of the V-brace as declared by the manufacturer, was based on conditions of flight which are not in agreement with the reality. During a meeting at September 6, 1957, Mr MacCallum of Scottish Aviation Ltd. gave a value of 4000hrs which raised a discussion. The Commission is aware of the fact that he cannot give a positive opinion upon the cause of the accident because there are no silent witnesses present, but nevertheless is of the opinion that there is a close conformity with the accident of the G-AOEO.

Crash of a Grumman HU-16E in Floyd Bennett Field: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross

Operator:

Registration:

1259

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Floyd Bennett Field - Floyd Bennett Field

MSN:

G-106

YOM:

1952

Location:

Floyd Bennett Field

New York

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a test flight after the aircraft had undergone an intermediate inspection in which the control columns were removed and inspected for fatigue cracks in the bottom casting. The plane was cleared for take-off and instructed to turn right immediately after take-off to avoid other traffic. Take-off was normal but immediately after leaving the runway the plane banked slightly to the left, hesitated, and then banked and then banked very rapidly to the left until it was in a 90° bank. The left wing tip struck the ground and the plane broke in two and crashed. Four crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Those killed were:
Lcdr Claude S. Labaw,
Lt Rolland A. Faucher,
AD3 Matthew R. Ross,
AT3 Gerald R. Fox.

Probable cause:

The Accident Board was not able to determine the cause of this accident but certain items all pointed strongly toward reversed aileron control cable rigging as the most probably cause.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14D in Kiev: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1957 at 2002 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1360

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kiev - Kiev

MSN:

1470 014 32

YOM:

Location:

Kiev-Zhuliany-Igor Sikorsky

Kiev oblast

Country:

Ukraine

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

157

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight at Kiev-Zhuliany. While flying at an altitude estimated between 250 to 300 meters, the aircraft collided with an Aeroflot Ilyushin II-14G registered CCCP-L2071 that was approaching the same airport following a cargo flight SU126 from Sofia with five crew members on board. Investigations determined that the propeller of the right engine of L2071 struck the right wing of the L1360, proving that both airplanes were facing each other. Following the collision, L1360 lost its right wing, dove into the ground and crashed while L2071 lost its right propeller that penetrated the cockpit and killed instantly both pilots. Out of control, the airplane also dove into the ground. Both aircraft crashed onto several houses located 4,5 km from the airport. All 9 crew members were killed as well as six people on the ground. 23 others were injured, 12 of them seriously.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the collision was the consequence of a lack of radar coverage, guidance and assistance on part of the ATC at Kiev-Zhuliany Airport. It was reported that the crew of L2071 was not informed about the presence of a second aircraft performing training maneuvers in the vicinity of the airfield at the same altitude.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 in Titsey Hill: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

TX222

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croydon - Croydon

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Croydon, while on a local training flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Apparently, the pilot reduced his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the airplane clip trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Titsey Hill, about 7 miles southeast of Croydon Airport. Two crew members were rescued while two others were killed, among them S/Ldr Archibald Reginald Gerald Jackson.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter in San Giorgio

Date & Time: Jul 25, 1957 at 1545 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

55-3326

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

198

YOM:

1957

Location:

San Giorgio (Brunico)

Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was involved in a local exercice on behalf of the Southern European Task Force (SETAF) based in Verona. Just after takeoff, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located in San Giorgio, two km north of Brunico. All seven occupants were injured, three of them seriously, while the aircraft was destroyed.

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