Crash of a Douglas Digby I in Freshwater Bay

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1942 at 1020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
738
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gander - Gander
MSN:
1630
YOM:
1936
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
866
Captain / Total hours on type:
436.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from base at 0940LT on a patrol duty on convoy. About 40 minutes into the flight, the starboard engine became very rough and the propeller was feathered. The Aircraft was losing altitude, bombs were dropped but height could not be maintained. As the aircraft was below the altitude of some hills, the captain landed on the water in Locker Bay. The the captain instructed the radio operator to try to contact base, but upon turning on the master switch, fire broke out in the cabin, forcing all personnel to leave the aircraft. The crew paddle ashore in the dinghy where they were found by some fishermen from Wellington who took them to town. The airplane was later towed to shore but was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/O D. G. J. Maltby, pilot,
P/O P. Hutchinson, copilot,
P/O D. W. Morrisson, navigator,
P/O F. S. Johnston, radio operator,
Sgt G. F. Davidson, air gunner,
Sgt A. C. Collville, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Failure of the starboard engine in flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas Digby I in the Atlantic Ocean: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
744
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gander - Gander
MSN:
1636
YOM:
1936
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
635
Copilot / Total flying hours:
253
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Gander Airport at 0840LT on an authorized operational flight (anti-submarine patrol flight) east of Newfoundland. The airplane failed to return to base and no visual or radio contact was made with it from time of takeoff. An extensive search was made for the missing airplane and crew but no trace of either was found.
Crew:
F/O James William Paul Skidmore, pilot,
P/O Kenneth George Schaefer, copilot,
P/O Albert William Runte, navigator,
Cpl Cecil George Heeney, wireless operator,
LAC John Sydney Legon, air gunner,
F/Sgt Arthur Chapman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Due to the lack of evidence, it could not be possible to determine the cause of the accident.
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30A Liberator at RAF Heathfield: 22 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1941 at 2040 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AM260
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Heathfield – Gander – Montreal
MSN:
169
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
The pilot started the take off procedure from runway 06. The aircraft failed to rotate, overran and impacted an embankment, bounced then crashed in a huge explosion on a second embankment. All 22 occupants were killed.
Crew (BOAC & ATA):
Cpt Richard Charles Stafford, pilot,
F/O Earl Wellington Watson,
Richard Coates, radio officer,
Roland Folford Davis, flight engineer.
Passengers:
F/O Elbert Beard Anding,
Joseph Culbert, radio officer,
Cpt Murray Benjamin Dilley Jr., pilot,
Robert Arnold Duncan, radio officer,
Cpt Alton Chester Earle, pilot,
Wesley Francis J. Goddard, radio officer,
Cpt Edward Hamel, pilot,
Donald Norman Hannant, radio officer,
Cpt Gerald Hull, pilot,
Cpt John Joseph Kerwin, pilot,
Philip Francis Lee, first officer,
Glenwood McKay, radio officer,
John Joseph MacDonald, radio officer,
Cpt James John Moffat, pilot,
Mr. Arthur Blakie Purvis (civilian),
Albert Tamblin, radio officer,
Walter Lee Trimble, first officer,
Martin Joseph Wetzel, first officer.
Source and photos:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/liberator_lb-30a_heathfield.htm
Probable cause:
The pilot-in-command started the takeoff procedure from runway 06 which was too short for such type of airplane.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30A Liberator on Mt Mullach Buidhe: 22 killed

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1941 at 2035 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AM261
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Heathfield – Gander – Montreal
MSN:
170
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Heathfield in Prestwick, in the evening, on a schedule service to Montreal-Saint Hubert Airport with an intermediate stop in Gander, carrying 19 passengers and a crew of three. After departure, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and followed a wrong heading. In limited visibility due to low clouds, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Mullach Buidhe (2,366 feet) located on the Isle of Arran, some 41 km northwest of the departure point. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 22 occupants were killed, among them RAF personnel and civilians.
Crew (BOAC):
Cpt Ernest Robert Bristow White, pilot,
Cpt Francis Delaforce Bradbrooke, copilot,
Henry Samuel Green, radio officer.
Passengers:
Albert Alexander Oliver, radio officer,
George Herbert Powell, radio officer,
Herbert David Rees. radio officer,
Cpt James Josiah Anderson,
Ralph Bruce Brammer, radio officer,
John Beatty Drake, radio officer,
Cpt Daniel Joseph Duggan,
Cpt George Thomas Harris,
Cpt Hoyt Ralph Judy,
Wilfrid Groves Kennedy, radio officer,
Cpt Watt Miller,
George Laing, radio officer,
William Kenneth Marks, radio officer,
Hugh Cameron McIntosh, radio officer,
Cpt John Evan Price,
Ernest George Reeves, flight engineer,
F/O John James Rouleston,
Cpt Harold Clifford Wesley Smith,
Cpt Jack Wixen.
More info and photos on:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/liberator_lb-30a_buidhe.htm
Probable cause:
The accident occurred in poor weather conditions with low visibility and the mountain was shrouded in clouds. According to the RAF investigation team, the accident was caused by a navigation error on part of the crew who followed a heading of 295° shortly after takeoff instead of 012°. It resulted in a deviation of the airplane which was flying 15 km north of the initial track. The crew was unable to know his real position due to low visibility and the absence of ground visual references. Therefore, the accident is the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas Digby I in Gander: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1941 at 0040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
742
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gander - Gander
MSN:
1634
YOM:
1936
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
630
Captain / Total hours on type:
300.00
Circumstances:
At 1856 GMT on 24 July 1941, RCAF Douglas Digby 742 left Gander with a crew of six for the purpose of convoy patrols. At 2320 GMT the weather began to deteriorate and the Meteorological Office predicted that the ceiling would remain at about 1500 feet with showers. At 2326 GMT the aircraft was recalled, but Digby 742 did not immediately respond. The recall notice was repeated four times by Gander Station and twice by RCAF Station, Sydney. The recall was acknowledged at 0030 GMT and at 0151 GMT the aircraft was in range of the Gander airbase. Digby 742 was spotted by Airport Control, but the aircraft reported that it could not see the airport. By this time, the ceiling had deteriorated to 200 feet with rain and increased wind and the cloud had begun to blow across the runway. When Digby 742 arrived, RCAF Digby 756 was attempting to land at Gander and Digby 742 was instructed to circle until Digby 756 had landed. Digby 756 landed safely at 0219 GMT but for approximately the next twenty minutes, Digby 742 was out of communication range. Captain Tomsett was instructed to proceed to Dartmouth where the weather conditions were more favourable but the Captain stated that he would attempt to land at Gander one final time and would proceed to Dartmouth if that landing was unsuccessful. At 0310 GMT a loud explosion was heard and there was no further communication with the aircraft. At 0330 GMT, the ceiling began to steadily rise becoming 1400 feet by 0530 GMT.
Crew:
F/Lt Martin Edward Tomsett, pilot,
P/O William Hume Mather, pilot,
P/O Allan Gower Pratt, navigator,
Cpl Thomas James Larmour Crawford, wireless operator,
Sgt Mervyn Samuel Hunt, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Laird McDavid, air gunner.
Source & photo:
http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2016/02/19/rcaf-digby-742/
Probable cause:
Although weather conditions had deteriorated, at this time there were no regulations for minimum ceiling. The conditions that were present at the time of the crash were poor and landing should only have been attempted by an experience pilot. As a result of this crash, recommendations were made to the RCAF to put in place regulations for landing in poor conditions based on the time of day (day or night flying) and the experience of the pilot; an experienced pilot is considered to have completed at least 300 hours of flying on that specific type of aircraft. The determination that weather conditions are poor would be based on the ceiling level and at the discretion of the Aerodrome Control Officer.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Montreal: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1941 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T9450
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Montreal - Gander
MSN:
414-2503
YOM:
1941
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a delivery flight from California to England via Canada, carrying three crew members. Shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Saint Hubert Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt L. A. Jackson, pilot,
S. H. McCaughan, radio operator +1.