Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Bagotville: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
102
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission in the region of Bagotville when the four engine aircraft collided with a RCAF De Havilland DH.100 Vampire registered 170024 and carrying one pilot. Out of control, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a prairie in Bagotville. All seven crew members were killed. The Vampire's pilot F/Lt Charles Stewart Buchanan was performing a training sortie between Chicoutimi and Quebec City.
Crew:
F/O Robert Alexander Gray, pilot,
F/O Joseph Alfred Marier, copilot,
F/O Edward Charles William Hutt,
F/O Richard Heather Duffield Noble, navigator,
F/O James Ernest Macara, radio operator,
Cpl Robert Gerald Smith, flight engineer.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Thorney Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NA868
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Thorney Island - Thorney Island
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training sortie at RAF Thorney Island. During the final approach completed with one engine voluntarily inoperative, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located few hundred yards short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The stall on final approach was caused by an insufficient approach speed because the crew failed to monitor the speed indicator with one engine out. The distance between the aircraft and the ground when the stall occurred was too low to expect a recovery.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Riga: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1952 at 2302 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4197
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Riga - Riga
MSN:
184 207 02
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
5948
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local night training flight at Riga-Spilve Airport. On final approach, the instructor asked the pilot-in-command to make a go around. The aircraft climbed to a height of about 60 meters and then turn to the left, stalled and crashed 250 meters from the tower. All 4 crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is reported that both engines flamed out during the initial climb, probably following a mishandling of the fuel management system on part of the flying crew. At the time of the accident, the connected fuel tank has 54 liters fuel only, which was considered as insufficient.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 in RAF Watton: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VM381
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Watton - Watton
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training sortie. On final approach with one engine voluntarily inoperative, the pilot-in-command elected to make a go around when he lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a field. Both pilots were killed while three other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina into Lake Washington: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
46664
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2028
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training sortie over Washington State. Upon landing on Lake Washington, the seaplane overturned and sank. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew forgot to raise the landing gear prior to landing on water, causing the aircraft to overturn.

Crash of an Avro 696 Shackleton MR.1 off Berwick-upon-Tweed: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1952 at 1934 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VP261
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Scampton to take part to a combined exercice with the British submarine christened HMS Sirdar, on behalf of the 120th Squadron. While flying at low height and simulating an aerial attack, the pilot-in-command completed a steep turn when the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea about 11 miles off Berwick-upon-Tweed. Two pilots were rescued while 11 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the aircraft's speed was too low during the last turn, causing it to stall. Also, the distance between the aircraft and the water surface when the stall occurred was insufficient to expect a recovery.

Crash of a Boeing B-50D-110-BO Superfortress in RAF Lakenheath: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
49-0271
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
MSN:
16047
YOM:
1949
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a combined exercice out from RAF Lakenheath with ten other USAF B-50's. During the approach, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion few miles from the airfield, killing all 11 crew members, among them Albin F. Venskus, pilot.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the stall could be caused by a maneuver on part of the pilot-in-command to avoid a collision with another aircraft in the formation was not ruled out.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-66-DL Invader off Gunsan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-34623
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gunsan - Gunsan
MSN:
27902
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training mission in the region of Gunsan. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea, about 6 km offshore. A crew member was rescued while the second one was killed.
Crew:
1st Lt L. J. Schiller,
1st Lt Fernie Wood. †
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford T.1 in RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HM961
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Holme-on-Spalding-Moor - Holme-on-Spalding-Moor
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a local training sortie at RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. On final approach, he decided to abandon the landing procedure and attempted a go around. During initial climb, he failed to see another RAF Oxford that was performing local circuits and that was above him. Both airplanes collided and while the second was able to land without any further incident, the first Oxford went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed near the runway, killing the pilot.
Probable cause:
The pilot decided to perform a go around without knowing the exact position of the second aircraft.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford T.1 in RAF Wellesbourne Mountford: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NM548
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wellesbourne Mountford - Wellesbourne Mountford
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was performing a local training sortie at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford. While descending to the airbase at an altitude of 2,000 feet, he lost control of the airplane that nosed down and plunged to an altitude of 800 feet. Then it went into a dive and crashed in flames in a field, killing the pilot.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the incapacity of the pilot to maintain a suitable control of the airplane after he was intoxicated by carbon monoxide whose origin remains unknown.