Avro 685 York

The crew was returning to Yellowknife on a flight from Shepard Bay. En route, the crew became lost and after multiple attempts to establish their location, did a controlled ditching (at night) into a lake in the Thoa River area. The crew was unable to get to shore due to the water temperature and sat on the extended flaps, just 3 feet above the water surface. After 2 days the Captain died from exposure but the Co-pilot remained alive until rescued 10 days after the accident.

About eight minutes after takeoff from Abadan Airport, while on a short flight to Kuwait City, the crew was flying at an altitude of 500 feet when power was lost on engine number three and four. The propeller on engine four was feathered and the crew contacted ATC for to return to Abadan for a safe landing. As the airplane lost height, the captain eventually decided to attempt an emergency landing in a desert area located in Al Seeba, at the border between Iraq and Iran. The aircraft belly landed and was damaged beyond repair. All 13 occupants were evacuated safely.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 33 at Edmonton Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, hit an obstacle and crashed in flames on a railway. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both crew members were killed.

While taking off from Hall Lake, the four engine aircraft hit a snow bank and came to rest, broken in two. All three crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned in situ.

Shortly after takeoff from Yellowknife Airport, while climbing, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a snow covered field. Both crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The takeoff was started in strong crosswinds. During the takeoff run, the airplane deviated to the left and the pilot overcorrected so the aircraft swung to the right when the left main gear collapsed. Out of control, the airplane veered off runway and came to rest in flames. While all 49 occupants were quickly evacuated, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

While flying at an altitude of 7,500 feet, the engine number one detached from the wing. The pilot-in-command lost control of the aircraft that went into a dive and crashed in a field located in Kyritz. All three crew members were killed.

While taxiing, the engine number four failed to start due to a starter issue. The captain decided to increase speed, hoping to start the engine by windmilling the propeller. When the engine started, the pilot was unable to stop the aircraft in a timely manner. The airplane veered off taxiway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest against a small embankment. All three crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The four engine aircraft was on its way from Stansted to Kingston, Jamaica, carrying RAF personnels and their family members. It left Lajes Airport in the Azores Islands at 2325LT on February 1st. While approaching the Canadian coast by night, the crew issued a brief emergency message whose content remains unclear. Shortly later, the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km southeast of Saint John's (approximately 46°15 latitude North and 46°31 longitude West). As the airplane failed to arrive in Gander, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 39 occupants was found. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were considered as good.
Crew:
D. Nicholls, pilot,
P. E. Walton, copilot,
A. E. Chopping, navigator,
J. A. Davis, radio officer,
R. G. Lawrence, flight engineer,
P. M. Newton, stewardess.

The accident occurred towards the end of a positioning flight from Stansted to Lyneham prior to an intended flight with freight from Lyneham to Singapore. Before departing from Stansted the captain telephoned the Meteorological Office at Lyneham and obtained the local weather situation. The en route flight to Lyneham was without incident and on arrival overhead a Ground Controlled Approach to Runway 07 was begun. The aircraft intercepted the glide path at 2,000 feet and a normal talk-down approach was made until the 114 mile from touch-down position was reached. During the approach a normal descent was maintained with variations of up to 50 ft. above the glide path. At the 1/4 mile from touch-down position the aircraft's echo disappeared from the Tracker's Radar screen in a downward direction indicating a high rate of descent. At this time the captain, who was concentrating on the flight instruments, was warned suddenly by the co-pilot that there were trees ahead. The captain immediately pulled back the control column but was unable to prevent the aircraft striking the upper branches of trees and the ridge of steeply sloping ground approximately 140 yards short of the touch-down point. The aircraft was severely damaged and three of the crew were slightly injured. There was no fire.