Short S.25 Sunderland

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGES

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Lagos – Lisbon – Foynes

YOM:

1942

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Circumstances:

By night, the crew overflew the Shannon estuary and continued to the north at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Forty-five minutes later, the captain disengaged the automatic pilot system and started the descent manually. After passing through the last cloud layer, the crew distinguished the ground but did not realized that his altitude was to low. The seaplane hit the slope of Mt Brandon with its right wing, stalled and crashed in flames southwest of Brandon village. Fifteen occupants were injured while ten others were killed, among them the captain.
Crew:
Thomas Allitt, pilot, †
John Harrop Slater, copilot,
Eric William Vincent, navigator,
Charles Harry P. Phillips, radio operator,
Frederick Thomas James Parr, radio operator,
Victor Rawlinson, flight engineer,
Ralph Bousquet Lawes, flight engineer.
Passengers:
David William Stannard, †
John Diarmuid Hartigan, †
Arthur Friedrich Rawson Lumby, †
William Sacheverell Hebden,
Lewis Milner, †
Sidney Leonard Pullinger, †
Ian Kenneth Thom, †
Harold Tristram, †
Thomas Watson Thomson,
Kenneth Joseph Devall, †
Leonard King,
Victor Francis Edward Simmons,
Oliver Frith,
Alfred Brooker Depree,
Max Albert Roth, †
Lloyd Gilbert French,
Roy Elliott Bertram,
Raymond François Larche.
Source: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/gages.pdf

Probable cause:

Navigation for the flight west from Foynes was by compass and loop bearing on the ground radio station and there was no request from the aircraft for QTE bearings to be transmitted from the radio station. If it is assumed that the aircraft's loop bearing on the radio station was free from error, the alteration in the aircraft's track should have been immediately apparent by a change in the compass course. Alternatively, if the course remained constant the alteration in track should have been indicated by a change in the loop bearing. The departure from the required track was not discovered by the crew and the reason for this is not conclusively evident. Radio direction-finding apparatus of the type used on the aircraft is subject to error around sunset and sunrise. The presence of this error, known as “Night Effect” cannot always be detected, even by experienced radio operators. The probable final cause of the accident was “Night Effect” which affected the accuracy of the direction-finding apparatus on the aircraft. The contributory causes of the accident may be summarized as follows:
- A strong south-westerly wind which resulted in the aircraft's arriving at Shannon Airport thirty minutes before its scheduled time of arrival;
- A change in wind direction from S.W. To N.W. in the Shannon area around the actual time of arrival;
- The pilots error in technique in relying entirely on the aircraft's loop bearings for radio assistance to the exclusion of direction signals from the ground station.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III into the Lough Erne: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DD857

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Enniskillen - Enniskillen

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Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Louigh Erne off Enniskillen. Nine crew members were rescued while P/O James Leslie Hodgens and Sgt Thomas Galbraith were killed.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III off Praa Sands: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1943 at 2248 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

EJ134

Flight Phase:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Biscay Bay on a SAR mission following the recent crash of a BOAC DC-3. En route, the seaplane was attacked by eight German Junkers JU.88. Despite the situation and damages, the pilot was able to leave the combat zone and flew back to the UK. While approaching the coast of Cornwall, the captain decided to ditch the aircraft few hundred yards off shore. A crew member was killed while all other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was later wrecked by tides and waves.
Crew (461th Squadron):
C. B. Walker, pilot,
W. J. Dowling, copilot,
J. C. Amiss, pilot,
P. K. Turner, flight engineer,
E. C. E. Miles, flight engineer, †
K. M. Simpson, navigator,
E. A. Fuller, wireless operator and air gunner,
A. Lane, wireless operator and air gunner,
S. F. Miller, wireless operator and air gunner,
R. M. Goode, wireless operator and air gunner,
L. S. Watson, air gunner,

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III off Clare Island: 11 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1943 at 0405 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DD846

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lough Erne - Lough Erne

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Circumstances:

Following an uneventful maritime patrol mission over the Atlantic, the aircraft and its crew were returning to their base in RAF Lough Erne in early morning. While approaching the Irish coast from the west, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Clare Island, west of Wesport. All 11 crew members were killed.
Crew (422nd Squadron):
F/O Ernest F. Paige, pilot,
F/O James W. Clarke, pilot,
Sgt William G. Hopps, pilot,
W/O Wallace Roy Thompson, navigator,
Sgt James Hird, flight engineer,
Sgt Donahan A. O’Dowd, flight engineer,
Sgt John Rowe, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt David Purvis, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Derek H. Richardson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Sherwood,wireless operator and air gunner,
W/O Robert B. Bryers, air gunner.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III in Bowmore: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1943 at 1930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

DV979

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bowmore - Bowmore

Location:

Bowmore (Isle of Islay)

Hebrides Islands

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew of the aircraft had been on an operational patrol, carrying out a parallel track search, from Bowmore of the sea area RU58, having taken off at 0724LT. The sea state at Bowmore was not ideal that day and it was expected that after dark it would be too rough to land aircraft. The original ETA back at Bowmore for DV979 had been 1810LT which being just before last light and it was decided by Flying Control not to divert the crew to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. At 1700LT the situation was reviewed and the flare path was laid in the calmest area of water available should the aircraft arrive a little late. Shortly after the crew made contact with Bowmore stating that they would be 50 minutes late, at this point they were told that if they had sufficient fuel they were to divert to Lough Erne. However at the time the aircraft was contacted they only had some 45 minutes fuel remaining and were unable to divert. At 1926LT, over a hour late and in near complete darkness, DV979 arrived back overhead at Bowmore. The flare path was ignited and Capt Lever was told that he could not overshoot his landing as the landing area finished close to where other aircraft were moored. He then warned his crew to expect a rough landing and gathered them in the upper deck around the cockpit.After gathering the crew Capt Lever and P/O Johnston began their approach overland from the north, intending to cross the northern shore of Loch Indaal at 200 feet and touch down as soon as possible. While approaching the coast the port float struck a building near the shore and the aircraft crashed a short distance beyond it. A fire quickly took hold and the crew began to evacuate the aircraft, at least nine had survived the crash. Captain Lever was spotted by Sgt Hogg wandering on the shore ahead of the aircraft and he called to Sgt Williams that they should go and get him. As the two Sergeants reached their Captain, about 30 yards away, the aircraft's Depth Charges detonated destroying the aircraft and killing outright the men who were still around the wreck to help pull trapped colleagues from the aircraft.
Crew (246th Squadron):
Cpt Eric John Lever, pilot,
P/O Wallace Arthur Johnston, pilot, †
Sgt Walter Eric Charles Heath, navigator, †
Sgt George Charles Major, bomb aimer, †
Sgt George Hogg, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Roy John Jabour, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Ernest Geoff Palmer,wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Henry John Tasker, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt George Cyril Phillips, air gunner, †
Sgt John Ivor Williams, flight mechanic,
Sgt William Simpson, flight mechanic, †
Sgt Douglas Howarth, flight engineer. †
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/scotland/scotlanddv979.htm

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off RAF Invergordon

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

L5802

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Invergordon - Invergordon

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a night training sortie from RAF Invergordon. On landing in the Cromarty Firth, the seaplane went out of control and sunk. There were no casualties.
Crew (4th OTU).

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Port Said: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N9209

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Port Said

Country:

Egypt

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew left Alexandria Airport at 1600LT on January 1st on an anti-submarine mission between Alexandria and Port Said. Several radio contacts were made at 1730LT and 2345LT. Nothing further was heard from 0230LT to 0830LT. In the next morning, the wreckage was spotted at 1100LT off Port Said. The seaplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all 12 crew members.
Crew (230th Squadron):
F/O R. H. Holcombe, pilot,
F/O R. W. Meaton, pilot,
F/O L. S. Clayton, pilot,
Sgt L. J. Webber, observer,
Sgt W. G. Darge, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt A. G. Daniels, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt M. Dean, wireless operator and air gunner,
Cpl J. Barnard, air gunner,
Sgt V. F. Butcher, air gunner,
Cpl E. A. F. Nicholas, air gunner,
LAC J. Savidge, air gunner,
LAC W. L. Purkiss, radio mechanic.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the accident.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I in RAF Invergordon: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1942 at 0643 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DD851

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Invergordon - Invergordon

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in an antisubmarine patrol flight off the British coast on behalf of the fourth Operational Training Unit. Shortly after take off from RAF Invergordon, while climbing, the engine number three failed. Few seconds later, this engine caught fire and fell off, causing severe vibrations. The crew lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a huge explosion on a railway road located 3 km northeast of the Invergordon's Station. All eleven occupants were killed.
Crew (4th OTU):
Sgt Donald Charles Beattie,
S/L James Gordon Brown,
Sgt Francis William George Cosgrave,
F/L William Fedoruk,
Sgt Milton Lynn Hill,
F/O Garth Borland Johnson,
F/L John Alfred Johnson,
P/O Charles Marland Kendall,
W/O Clare Kinton,
W/O Fredrick John Peters,
F/Sgt James Edward Porret,
F/O John Hodgson Shand.

Probable cause:

Failure of a connecting rod on the engine number 3, causing the failure of the engine that caught fire and detached.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Abu Qir: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942 at 0620 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T9050

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: