Avro 696 Shackleton

The aircraft was en route from South Africa to England via Abidjan to take part to an airshow. While cruising over the desert by night, both right engines n°3 and 4 failed. Ten minutes later, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in a desert area located some 50 km north of Agwenit, Occidental Sahara. All 19 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned on site.

On the morning of 30 April 1990, the crew of Shackleton AEW2 WR965 took off from RAF Lossiemouth to participate in a maritime exercise in the Benbecula area to the west of mainland Scotland. The exercise was to be in two parts with a time interval between. To make most economical use of the Shackleton's flying time it was intended to utilise the time interval to undertake some continuation training for which the crew had appropriate authorisation. Although the weather was forecast to be generally clear in the aircraft's operating area there were areas of low cloud and poor visibility over Scottish coastal areas. The first part of the sortie was completed without incident and at 09:45 UTC the crew took the opportunity to participate with a Tornado F3 in mutual training which required the Shackleton's radar to be set to standby/off. After completing this training, the crew commenced their own continuation training which was to include a visual approach to Benbecula airfield. The crew contacted Benbecula Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 10:25 UTC requesting permission for an approach, stating that they were about 20 miles west of the airfield; permission was given and Benbecula ATC passed their actual weather to the crew. Subsequent investigation determined, however, that the aircraft was actually 15 miles north of the position which it had reported at this time. At 10:30 two RAF personnel saw the Shackleton orbiting an island some 12 miles to the north of Benbecula airfield, and at 10:34 the Shackleton crew called Benbecula ATC stating that the weather was not sufficiently good for an approach and that they were turning right and climbing. At around 10:37 it struck the ground about 30 ft below the summit of an 823 ft hill on the Isle of Harris. Reliable evidence indicates that at that time and in that vicinity the cloudbase was 200 ft above mean sea level, with cloud tops at 3000 ft. At impact, the aircraft was in controlled flight with all four engines developing cruise power.
Crew (28th Squadron):
W/Cdr Stephen Roncoroni,
W/Cdr Chas Wrighton,
F/O Colin Burns,
S/L Jerry Lane,
F/Lt Al Campbell,
F/Lt Keith Forbes,
M/O Roger Scutt,
F/Sgt Rick Ricketts,
Sgt Graham Miller,
Cpl Stuart Bolton.

For unknown reason, the airplane landed hard and was considered as damaged beyond repair and retired from service. All seven crew airman were uninjured.

The aircraft had taken off from Ballykelly in Northern Ireland on an anti-submarine exercise early on the morning of the 19th April 1968, it is reported to have been tasked with located a Royal Navy submarine that was in the area. The area that day was shrouded in thick sea mist and at about 10:30 the aircraft was heard in the area south of the Mull of the Kintyre shortly after as it climbed up through the mist the aircraft struck rising ground near Garvalt cottage killing all 11 crew members instantly.
Crew:
S/Ldr Robert Clive Leonard Haggett, pilot,
F/O David Robert Burton, pilot,
F/O Michael Creedon, pilot,
F/Lt Roger John Duncan Denny, navigator,
F/Lt George Craigie Fisken, navigator,
Sgt John Richard Frank Creamer, flight engineer,
F/Lt Rodney Hellens, air electronic officer,
F/Sgt Thomas Frederick Anglin Buttimore, air electronic officer,
Sgt Bruce Robert Dixon, air electronic officer,
M/Sig Ronald Cecil Stratton, air signaller,
Sgt Nathaniel Michael Duffy, air signaller.
Source: www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Ballykelly. On touchdown, one of the main gear collapsed. The airplane slid for several yards and came to rest. All five crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft was engaged in a three hour routine training flight out from RAF Kinloss. Shortly after takeoff, weather conditions deteriorated with low clouds, fog, turbulences and icing conditions. While cruising at low height, the airplane struck the top of a hill at Creag Bhan. The aircraft disintegrated and all 13 occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Ldr Michael Charles McCallum, pilot,
F/O Terence Charles Swinney, copilot,
F/O David John Evans, copilot,
F/Lt Bruce George Wishart Mackie, navigator,
F/O Ralph Joseph Fonseca, navigator,
Sgt Malcolm Arthur Jones, air engineer,
F/O John Verner Young, air electronics officer,
F/Sgt David John Harris, air electronics operator,
Sgt Michael Barry Bowen, air electronics operator,
Sgt Charles Peter Matthews, air electronics operator,
Sgt Kenneth Browne Hurry, air signaller.
Passengers:
S/Ldr Harry Harvey, air electronics officer,
P/O Iain Campbell MacLean.

The aircraft departed RAF Newquay-St Mawgan on a training exercise over the Celtic Sea with the HMS Brighton's vessel, on behalf of the 201st Squadron based at RAF Kinloss. While simulating an aerial attack of the HMS Brighton and descending at low height, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that crashed into the Celtic Sea. Two crew members were quickly rescued while nine others were killed.
Crew:
Lt Cdr Christopher Brian Schofield, †
F/Lt Joseph Dennis Fillion, †
S/Ldr Brian Campbell Letechford, †
F/Lt Frank Raymond Hollins, †
F/Lt Edward Thomas Spicer, †
F/Lt Peter John Stowell, †
F/O Keith Robert Gordon, †
F/Sgt John Francis Gent, †
Sgt Arthur Brown, †
Sgt E. Bradshaw,
Sgt R. M. Collins.

While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet over the Indian Ocean on a flight from Gan AFB (Maldivian Islands) to Singapore-Changi Airport, the crew informed ATC that the propeller on the engine number four oversped and that he was unable to feather it. Few minutes later, the engine number four caught fire and eventually detached. The captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when control was lost. During an uncontrolled descent, the aircraft broke in three and crashed into the sea. The crew of the frigate HMS Ajax arrived on the scene six hours later and its crew was able to evacuate three survivors while eight other occupants were killed.
Those killed were:
F/Lt K. Blake, pilot,
F/O R. K. Bungay, pilot,
F/Lt K. M. Greatorex, navigator,
P/O D. Love, navigator,
F/Lt I. B. Stanley, air electric operator,
F/S R. N. Adams, air electric operator,
F/S R. G. Rees, air electric operator,
Sgt D. H. Morgan, air signaller.

During the takeoff roll, one of the crew member inadvertently raised the landing gear before rotation. The aircraft sank on its belly and slid for several yards before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. It was operated on behalf of the Maritime Operational Training Unit (MOTU).