Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Thorney Island

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF428
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Thorney Island - Thorney Island
MSN:
570
YOM:
1952
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training at RAF Thorney Island. During the descent, the instructor voluntarily shot down an engine when on final, the remaining engine lost power. The aircraft lost speed, stalled and crashed short of runway. All four crew members were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine loss of power on final.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Rome

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1954 at 1730 LT
Operator:
Registration:
I-LENT
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rome - Rome
MSN:
4548
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Juts after liftoff, while climbing, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crash landed on the runway. All four crew members who were involved in a local training mission were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure just after rotation.

Crash of a Convair B-36B-1-CF Peacemaker at Fairchild AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-92032
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fairchild - Fairchild
MSN:
29
YOM:
1946
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission at Fairchild AFB. During an aborted takeoff, the airplane crashed in unclear circumstances. Seven crew members were killed and three others were injured.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Swinderby: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF386
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
MSN:
545
YOM:
1951
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a night training sortie at RAF Swinderby. On final approach, due to low visibility, the pilot-in-command failed to locate the runway properly and decided to make a go around. The aircraft was seen to fly over the runway at low height when at the end, it struck trees and crashed in a wooded area. The captain was killed and the copilot was seriously injured.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 on Mt Kinangop: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RE297
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Nairobi - Nairobi
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful night training flight, the crew was returning to his base at Nairobi-Eastleigh Airport when the airplane crashed on Mt Kinangop (3,906 meters high) located 75 km north of Nairobi. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all five crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, the crew was flying under IFR rules but below the minimum safe altitude for unknown reason.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Lt Michael Weight, pilot,
M/Eng William Joseph Beesley, flight engineer,
F/O Michael William Humphrey Owen, navigator,
F/O Robert Joseph Robinson, navigator,
Sgt James Keith Atkinson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Aero C.3A in Hradec Králové: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AK-4
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hradec Králové - Hradec Králové
MSN:
384
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew (two pilots, one radio operator and one instructor) were engaged in a local training sortie at Hradec Králové Airport. While cruising at an altitude of about 200 meters, the left engine failed. The crew elected to return for an emergency landing when completing a last turn to the right, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located in Rusek, east of the Airfield. The radio operator was seriously injured while three other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine caused by a malfunction of the spark plugs.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 near RAF Syerston: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF327
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
MSN:
519
YOM:
1951
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Swinderby for a local training mission. Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the crew was instructed to divert to RAF Syerston. Few minutes later, the pilot encountered technical problems with the left engine that was shot down and its propeller feathered. On final approach to RAF Syerston, the pilot was forced to make a go around for unknown reason. During its second attempt to land, the aircraft was seen to fly over the airbase at low height with its landing gear down. Suddenly, it bank left and crashed in a field located two miles from the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew (201st Advanced Flying School):
Sgt G. E. Cheesley, pilot,
Sgt P. C. Leach, pilot,
P/O M. W. Clarke, navigator,
Sgt L. J. Herbert, signaller.
Probable cause:
Weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident and the visibility was considered as below minima for such type of flight. It was determined that the pilot was familiarized with Vickers Wellington and that in the past, he regularly encountered difficulties for maintaining control with one engine out.

Crash of a Douglas JD-1 Invader in El Centro: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
77172
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a combined exercice with other aircraft. In flight, the Invader collided with a USAF North American F-86 Sabre. Out of control, it dove into the ground and crashed in El Centro, killing both crew members.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando in Rio de Janeiro

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PP-LPH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
33283
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training flight at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, consisting of several touch and goes. On approach, the instructor decided to perform a single engine landing and shot down one engine. For unknown reason, the airplane landed hard on one wheel and bounced. The instructor also noted that another airplane was entering the runway so he decided to make a go around and increased power on the second engine. Few seconds later, while in initial climb, the second engine lost power. The airplane lost speed, stalled and hit the mast of a boat before crashing into the Guanabara Bay. Both pilots were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar in Huntingdon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1954 at 1450 LT
Operator:
Registration:
52-5894
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Fort Benning - Fort Benning
MSN:
11061
YOM:
1952
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
1188
Captain / Total hours on type:
436.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
444
Copilot / Total hours on type:
104
Circumstances:
The crew left Fort Benning-Lawson AFB in Columbus, Georgia, at 1334LT on a training flight to Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. The training program consisted of approaches, touch and goes and landings. After takeoff from Fort Benning, the captain decided to modify his schedule and flew to the northwest to Huntingdon, Tennesse, where he came from. This city is more than 300 miles northwest from Fort Benning. Approaching Huntingdon, the captain reduced his altitude and completed a first low pass over the city. Few minutes later, at a speed of 230 knots, he made a second low pass over the city when the plane hit the roof of a house and disintegrated on a field. All four crew members were killed while nobody on the ground was injured.
Crew:
1st Lt Jack C. Jenkins, pilot,
2nd Lt John C. Peachey, copilot,
A2c Franklin D. Levy, flight engineer,
A2c David A. Probus, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
The aircraft disintegrated as a result of stress applied beyond the designed load limits. Inspection of the engines disclosed no malfunction of the power recovery turbines. The pilot violated several procedures by operating an aircraft in a careless and reckless manner, by flying over a congested area at less than 2,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a radius of 2,000 feet, by disregarding established boundaries of the local flying area and proceeding to a point approximately 170 nautical miles outside of the prescribed flying area while operating on a local flight clearance. In addition, the pilot failed to follow instructions for accomplishing scheduled crew training published by squadron training directive and as briefed by the Squadron Operations Officer. The pilot had made two extremely low and high speed passes over the town of Huntingdon.
Final Report: