Banjul

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dakar - Banjul

MSN:

2030

YOM:

1966

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Following an uneventful flight from Saint Louis, a Twin Otter operated by Air Sénégal was cleared to descend to Dakar-Yoff Airport and was instructed to maintain 3,000 feet over YF VOR. At the same time, the NAMC YS-11 departed Dakar-Yoff Airport on a regular schedule flight to Banjul. Registered C5-GAA, the aircraft was carrying 34 passengers and a crew of four. Its pilots were instructed to climb via radial 140 and maintain the altitude of 2,000 feet while over YF VOR. When both aircraft reached the YF VOR, they collided. While the crew of the NAMC was able to return to Dakar and land safely despite the left wing was partially torn off, the Twin Otter entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the sea few km offshore. All three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both crew failed to respect their assigned altitude, causing both aircraft to collide. At the time of the accident, the Twin Otter was about 100-300 feet too low and the NAMC was about 700-900 feet too high.

Crash of an Avro 685 York I in Bathurst: 24 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1946 at 0410 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 685 York

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHEW

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

London – Lisbon – Bathurst – Natal – Rio de Janeiro – Montevideo – Buenos Aires

MSN:

1300

YOM:

1946

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Circumstances:

The aircraft arrived in Bathurst at 0243LT from Lisbon and the crew was changed. The departure was performed at 0408LT in fair weather conditions. Two minutes later, while in initial climb, the aircraft failed to gain height and hit few trees with its left wing. It then banked left and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 3 km from the airport. The aircraft christened 'Star Leader' was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 24 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that the loss of control during initial climb was probably due to a mishandling of the controls on behalf of the pilot in command. It was confirmed by investigations that it was the captain's first York flight on a scheduled service, and it was also the first takeoff he made in a York loaded to more than 69,000 lb.

Crash of an Avro 691 Lancastrian III in Bathurst

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Avro 691 Lancastrian

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGWJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

London – Lisbon – Bathurst – Natal – Rio de Janeiro – Montevideo – Buenos Aires

MSN:

1282

YOM:

1945

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Circumstances:

Upon touchdown, the aircraft lost its undercarriage, went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft christened 'Star Glow' was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 2A into the Atlantic Ocean

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHJB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Bristol – Bathurst – Natal – Rio de Janeiro

MSN:

12734

YOM:

1946

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The crew was on his way to Rio de Janeiro to deliver the aircraft to the Brazilian operator Real Aerovias. While at cruising level off Aracaju, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain ditched the aircraft about 198 km off the Brazilian coast. While the aircraft sank and was lost, all five crew members were rescued by the crew of an American merchant ship.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure due to a fuel exhaustion caused by a navigational error on part of the crew.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Bathurst: 9 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1943 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

JM710

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Short S.30 Empire Flying Boat

Schedule:

Bathurst - Bathurst

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The crew was engaged in a night training sortie out of Bathurst, Gambia. On approach, while completing a last turn to the left, the seaplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion into the sea. All nine crewmen were killed.
Crew (208th Squadron):
F/O J. G. Finney, pilot,
F/O S. B. Cuthbert, copilot,
F/Sgt R. G. Craig, flight engineer,
Sgt R. D. Britton, navigator,
Sgt G. Weston, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt B. S. Evans, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt E. C. Hobbins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt H. Revell, fitter and air gunner,
F/Sgt R. B. Billows, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident is obscure. The aircraft crashed whilst turning on its circuit prior to landing. A possible cause was that the Pilot with not much night flying experience returned to RAF Bathurst whilst the weather conditions were not ideal, and the aircraft stalled in its turn. It was thought that the pilot was about to make his run up the flare path to set the gyro, as is normal practice, and stalled in the turn.

Crash of a Short S.30 Empire Flying Boat off Senegal: 19 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-AFCZ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Schedule:

Lagos – Bathurst – Lisbon – Poole

MSN:

S.885

YOM:

1937

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Circumstances:

Some 90 minutes after its departure from Bathurst, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean off the Senegalese coast. The crew was unable to send any distress call. SAR operations were conducted and after few days, some debris and six dead bodies were found on the West African coast. None of the 19 occupants survived.

Probable cause:

It is believed the aircraft went out of control or exploded in flight following a sudden and uncontained failure on the fuel supply system.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I into the Atlantic Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

L5805

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Bathurst - Freetown

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left Bathurst at 2255LT on June 10 on a maritime patrol flight to Freetown, Sierra Leone. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the seaplane was ever found.
Crew (95th Squadron):
P/O J. Pybus,
F/O J. M. Henderson,
F/O R. W. Lawrence,
P/O D. J. Whalley,
Sgt V. Cromer,
Sgt J. E. Burley,
Sgt R. G. Greenman,
LAC J. M. McNeill,
AC1 H. K. McCombie.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-120 in Bathurst: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

NC14279

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1312

YOM:

1934

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Circumstances:

On approach to Bathurst Airport, the airplane crashed few km short of runway. All three crew members were killed. The aircraft was to be delivered to the Royal Air Force in Gambia and was still registered to the US Department of the Treasury at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Junkers JU.90V2 in Bathurst: 12 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1938 at 1520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.90

Operator:

Registration:

D-AIVI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: