Crash of a Douglas C-47B-35-DK in Düsseldorf: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Manx Airways
Registration:
G-AMZC
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Douglas - Düsseldorf
MSN:
16522/33270
YOM:
1945
Location:
Düsseldorf-Lohausen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Douglas, Isle of Man, to Düsseldorf to pick up passengers. While descending to Lohausen Airport, the crew received the permission to perform an ILS approach but for unknown reason, the captain preferred to make a visual approach despite the low visibility caused by marginal weather conditions. On final, the airplane was too low, hit trees and crashed 5 km short of runway. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying pilot who continued the descent without sufficient visual reference, causing the aircraft to pass below the glide in low visibility conditions.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide off Liverpool: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1948 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Mannin Airways
Registration:
G-AKOF
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dublin – Douglas
MSN:
6538
YOM:
1947
Location:
Liverpool-John Lennon (ex Speke)
Merseyside
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total flying hours:
15000
Circumstances:
On approach to Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was unable to land. In thick fog, the pilot made several attempts to land, without success. As the weather conditions were better in Liverpool, he decided to divert. While descending to Speke Airport, both engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed into the Mersey, about 3 miles north of the airport. A passenger was rescued while eight other occupants were killed. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew:
John Higgins, pilot,
Noel Clucas, radio operator.
Probable cause:
It was determined that both engines failed on approach to Liverpool-Speke Airport because the fuel tanks were empty. The crew positioned that day from Douglas to Dublin to pick up passengers but failed to refuel prior to departure from Dublin. After several unsuccessful attempts to land in Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport, a divert to Liverpool and one approach, the fuel tanks were empty and both engines failed as the fuel quantity was insufficient. It was then considered that the crew misjudged the situation. The pilot was very experienced with over 15,000 flying hours and more than 5,000 flights between Liverpool and the Isle of Man.

Crash of an Avro 19 off Port Erin

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1948 at 0905 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 19
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGNI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Blackpool – Walney Island – Douglas
MSN:
1214
YOM:
1945
Location:
Port Erin
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a charter flight from Blackpool to Douglas with an intermediate stop in RAF Walney Island, Cumbria. On approach to the Isle of Man, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and continued to the west to Ireland without locating the Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport. Few minutes later, the pilot realized that the fuel reserve was insufficient and decided to ditch the aircraft into the Irish Sea, off Port Erin. The aircraft came to rest few miles off shore and floated for a while, allowing the occupants to take refuge on the wings, awaiting for help. The crew of a boat rescued all nine occupants shortly later and the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
The crew was unable to locate the island during the initial approach due to faulty navigation, but the fact that one of the QDM's given by ATC in Ronaldsway was incorrect (though corrected a minute later) was probably a contributory cause of the accident.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide near Peel: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1948 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Hargreaves Airways
Registration:
G-AIUI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Birmingham – Douglas
MSN:
6675
YOM:
1946
Location:
Peel
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport in poor weather conditions. Apparently following a navigational error, the aircraft came from the west at a too low altitude when it hit a cliff located near Peel. The wreckage was found few hours later. Both crew members and four passengers were killed while two others were seriously injured. The crew was unable to locate the airport of Douglas and to know his exact position when the accident occurred. The pilot was completing his first flight to Douglas Airport.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide near Greeba

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1947
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHKR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Liverpool – Douglas
MSN:
6824
YOM:
1946
Location:
Greeba
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Douglas, the crew encountered poor visibility with mist. The captain decided to divert to RAF Jurby when the aircraft hit a hill, overturned and came to rest upside down. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all seven occupants were injured.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Mt Scafell Pike: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
DJ275
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Brampton – Douglas
Location:
Mt Scafell Pike
Cumbria
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training flight and left the RAF Brampton in the early evening on a combined exercise with three other similar aircraft. En route, the crew encountered low visibility, marginal weather conditions and strong winds, which caused the aircraft to drift off the intended course when it struck the summit of Mt Scafell Pike. The wreckage was found two days later and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Stanislaw Kowalczyk, pilot,
Sgt John Taylor Chadwick, navigator,
Sgt Thomas William Pickering, bomb aimer,
Sgt Robert Stanley Deason, navigator,
Sgt Thomas Scorer Wheatley Lawson, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Douglas

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L1157
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Waddington – Douglas
MSN:
8440
YOM:
1938
Location:
Douglas-Ronaldsway
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport, one of the engine failed. The aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and crashed against a wall. All three crewmen were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after landing.

Crash of a Spartan Cruiser III in Blackpool: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Spartan Cruiser
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADEM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Blackpool – Douglas
MSN:
103
YOM:
1935
Location:
Blackpool
Lancashire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Blackpool-Stanley Park Airport, while climbing, the three engine aircraft hit a hangar and crashed, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Charles Frederick O’Connell, pilot.
Passenger:
Eileen A. Miller.
Probable cause:
Takeoff was completed in thick fog so the visibility was near zero. After rotation, the aircraft became off course maybe after the pilot suffered a spatial disorientation.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Douglas

Date & Time: May 16, 1936
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADBX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Blackpool - Douglas
MSN:
6289
YOM:
1935
Location:
Douglas-Ronaldsway
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a hangar. All eight occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Spartan Cruiser II in Douglas

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Spartan Cruiser
Operator:
Registration:
G-ACVT
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Heston - Douglas
MSN:
11
YOM:
1934
Location:
Douglas-Ronaldsway
Isle of Man
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the airplane landed hard. It went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All three occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
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