Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I at RAF Cranfield

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AE467
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cranfiel
Location:
Cranfield
Bedfordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Cranfield. After landing, the brakes failed. The airplane went out of control, came to a stop in a trench collapsing the undercarriage. Both crew members escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Brakes failure upon landing.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc near Shelter Cove

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL405
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Shelter Cove
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing near Shelter Cove. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was uninjured.
Crew:
Paul E. Lee, pilot.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc in Ruth

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL471
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Ruth
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing near Ruth. There were no casualties.
Crew:
Ralph A. Disarro.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc on Mt Shasta: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL473
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Eugene – Oakland
Location:
Mt Shasta
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was in charge to ferry the airplane from Eugene to Oakland on behalf of the USAAF Ferry Command. En route, he encountered poor weather conditions. In limited visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Shasta located two miles southeast of the Horse Ridge Lookout Station. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was eventually found by walkers on 22 September 1943.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles Samuel Riley, pilot.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas A-20A Havoc II at RAF Long Kesh: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1942 at 1220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL263
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Long Kesh - Long Kesh
Location:
Long Kesh AFB
Antrim
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at RAF Long Kesh. For unknown reasons, the airplane overshot on landing, collided with high tension cables and crashed in a ditch. The observer was killed and the pilot was injured.
Crew:
P/O T. K. Matthews, pilot,
Sgt Glyn Rees, observer. †

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I in Box: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AW395
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Colerne - Charmy Down
Location:
Box
Wiltshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from RAF Colerne, while on a short flight to the nearby airfield of RAF Charmy Down, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field located in Box, about 4 km south of RAF Colerne. All three crew members were killed.
Crew.
Sgt Jozef Armanowski,
P/O Stanisław Gasak,
P/O Lynn Frederick Hobbs, observer.

Crash of a Douglas A-20A Havoc at Barksdale AFB

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
40-88
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Barksdale AFB
Louisiana
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered an accident while taxiing at Barksdale AFB. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew.
Claude S. Gossett.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I in Mereworth Wood: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
BD116
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
West Malling - West Malling
Location:
Mereworth Wood
Kent
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local test flight out from West Malling Airfield. While circling in the vicinity of the airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed at Mereworth Wood. The pilot was killed and the radio operator was injured.
Crew:
W/O James Hopewell, pilot,
Sgt C. W. Cragg.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a loss of control due to flight control malfunction.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III at RAF Oulton: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941 at 1045 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
V9231
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Oulton - Oulton
Location:
Oulton AFB
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from RAF Oulton, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed. Both crew members were killed. They were engaged in a local training exercise.
Crew.
P/O Charles Richardson Digges, pilot,
Sgt Michael Terence Garfin, wireless operator.

Crash of a Douglas A-20A Havoc I in Market Deeping: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
BD120
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wittering - Wittering
Location:
Market Deeping
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Wittering on a local training exercise. En route, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in Market Deeping, about 13 km northeast of the airbase. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt James Leslie Sudders, pilot,
Sgt William Arthur Fradley, observer,
Sgt Eric Welch, wireless operator.
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