Crash of a Howard Super Ventura in Nashua: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1956
Operator:
Registration:
N345
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Youngstown - Youngstown
MSN:
5270
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Youngstown Airport on a local familiarization flight and continued to the east over Pennsylvania. In the region of Nashua, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field, killing all three occupants.

Crash of a Vickers 701 Viscount in Dannemois: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1956 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-BGNK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paris – Reims
MSN:
8
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew left Paris-Orly Airport at 0849LT on a training flight to Reims, carrying three pilots, one instructor and one controller from the Vilgenis Instruction center. After takeoff, the crew climbed to 3,000 feet and above the cloud layer, continued under VFR. At 0858LT, the captain requested permission to climb to 5,000 feet when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive and crashed in a field located in Dannemois, about 31 km south of Paris-Orly Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Marchandise,
Mr. Brunot,
Mr. Colsy,
Mr. Heymard,
Mr. Nicolai.
Probable cause:
The cause of the loss of control could bot be determined with certainty.

Crash of a Boeing RB-52B-20-BO Stratofortress at Castle AFB: 10 killed

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1956 at 2200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
52-8716
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Castle - Castle
MSN:
16844
YOM:
1952
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Soon after a night takeoff from Castle AFB, while climbing to a height of 500 feet, the aircraft adopted a 5° nose down attitude. The crew elected to correct this but the aircraft went into a descent and struck the ground 4 miles north of the airbase and exploded on impact, killing all 10 crew members.
Crew:
Cpt John A. Goddard, aircraft commander,
Cpt Richard M. Wikstrom, pilot,
Cpt Leland Fulton Burch, navigator,
Maj Robert Louis Sherman, ECM operator
Cpt Jack Eugene Welch, radar-bombardier,
Maj Bryant Guernsey Gay, electronic counter measure operator,
T/Sgt William J. Maguire, radio operator,
Cpt Nick Sam Koss, radar-bombardier instructor,
Cpt Charles Warren Schweer, ECM instructor,
T/Sgt Gerald Everett Riley, tail gunner.
Probable cause:
No technical issues and no structural failure was found during investigations. It is believed the accident was the consequence of an uncontrolled descent caused either by a wrong maneuver on part of the pilot or due to the fact that they were distracted. Following this accident, it will be recommended that flaps could not be raised below a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-2 Neptune MR.1 at RAF Topcliffe

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WX546
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
426-5159
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reason, the aircraft belly landed at RAF Topcliffe and came to a halt on the runway. All seven crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson XI at RAF Acklington

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PH782
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Acklington - Acklington
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered an undercarriage failure while taking off from RAF Acklington. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage collapsed on takeoff.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland GR.5 in Richards Bay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1715
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Richards Bay - Richards Bay
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training sortie out from Richards Bay. On final approach by night, the seaplane crashed in flames into Lake Mzingazi, few km short of runway. Two crew members were killed while eight others were rescued.

Crash of a Percival P.66 Pembroke Tp83 in Västerås: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1956 at 1411 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
83003
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Västerås - Västerås
MSN:
42
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Västerås Airport, while on a local training flight, the left engine failed and caught fire. The pilot-in-command elected to maintain a safe altitude but as he was unable to feather the propeller, the airplane lost height, past just over a 70,000 volts high voltage power line and eventually crashed in flames in a wooded area. Six occupants were killed while five others were seriously injured. Three days later, one of the survivor died from his injuries.
Source:
http://www.anderslif.se/index.html-flygolycka.html
Probable cause:
The left engine crankshaft failed during initial climb. For undetermined reason, the crew was unable to feather the propeller and the engine windmilled, causing high drag. In such conditions, control was lost.

Crash of a Casa 2.111 in Pilas: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B.2-11
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Seville - Seville
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a local training flight out from Seville-Tablada Airport. En route, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances at Pilas, about 27 km southwest of Seville. Two crew members were killed while three others were injured.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-2 Neptune MR.1 near Campbeltown: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WX545
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ballykelly - Ballykelly
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to an antisubmarine exercice from RAF Ballykelly. While cruising by night and limited visibility, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Beinn na Lice located one mile northeast of the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all nine crew members have been killed.
Crew (36th Squadron):
F/Lt Geoffrey Finding, pilot,
F/O James Alexander Campbell, copilot,
F/O Gilbert Rishton, navigator,
Sgt Cyril Armstrong, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Raymond Fox, radio operator,
F/Sgt Ronald Mark Noble, air signaler,
Sgt Eric Honey, air signaler,
Sgt Bernard Edward Lynn, air signaler,
Sgt Roy Vincent Smith, air signaler.

Crash of a Vickers 610 Viking 1B in Salisbury: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VP-YMO
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Salisbury – Salisbury
MSN:
227
YOM:
1947
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at Salisbury Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed 3 km from the airfield. Both pilots were killed. It is believed the accident was caused by an error on part of the copilot.