Lille

The flight was a non-scheduled international IFR flight from Lille, France to Wroclaw, Poland. The aircraft took off from Lille at 1240 hours GMT and was cleared to climb to FL 160 on a heading to "Silly". At 1242 hours the pilot contacted Brussels ACC and reported he was at 3 000 ft still climbing and estimating "Silly" at 1249 hours. At 1253 hours he reported over "Silly" at FL 120, and was cleared to climb and maintain FL 130. At 1254 hours the pilot called Brussels and reported he was at FL 130 and estimating "Gatta" at 1300 hours. Five minutes later he reported over "Silly" at FL 130 and estimating "Olno" at 1310 hours. As this was the second time the pilot mentioned "Silly" the radar controller checked his position and confirmed that the aircraft was in fact over "Gatta". At 1300 hours the radar controller directed his attention to Caravelle F-BJTQ which, after passing "Gatta" at 1256 hours on airway "Green One", was cleared to make a right turn on Luxembourg but requested permission to make a detour to avoid an area of intense storm activity. At 1311 hours Brussels ACC has no news of the Viscount which by then should have reported reaching "Olno". Attempts to make radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful, and no echo appeared on the radar scope in the vicinity of "Olno". No distress signal was recorded. While in cruising flight the aircraft had entered an area of bad weather, lost altitude and disintegrated in flight before crashing to the ground at 1308 hours GMT. All four crew members were killed.

Flight IT 2611 was a scheduled domestic flight from Lille to Nice with an intermediate stop at Lyon. It took off from Lille at 1151 hours GMT, on an IFR flight plan. Estimated flying time between Lille and Lyon was 1 hour 21 min., cruising at flight level 150. Until 1300 hours, when it began its descent, the flight had been normal; at 1309:50, it reported to Marseilles Control that it was above Tramoyes at flight level 40, and was cleared to Lyon Approach, which was contacted at approximately 1310Z. The flight was then in position for a direct approach to runway 17. At this point Lyon Control having a Caravelle ready to take off asked the aircraft to hold momentarily over Tramoyes at flight level 30. After having first agreed, the flight reported that it was in a severe storm and requested permission to descend below flight level 25, at 1313 hours. Lyon then cleared the flight for a straight-in approach to runway 17. This was acknowledged by the aircraft, Subsequent calls from Lyon Control were not replied. The flight was seen by witnesses in the heart of a storm flying very low in an easterly direction around 1320 hours. At 1326 the aircraft was not visible on Satolas Control radar. It was subsequently found that the aircraft had hit trees, the roof of a farmhouse and a telephone pole before crashing into a field, 15 km from Lyon/Bron airport, at an altitude of 300 m (100 metres higher than the airport) at approximately 1319 hours. Four occupants, among them a crew member, were seriously injured while 12 other occupants were killed. Few hours later, three of the survivors died from their injuries and a little girl was the only survivor. In the farmhouse, a boy was seriously injured while a second one was killed.
Crew:
Georges Valencia, pilot,
Guy Cleret-Langavant, copilot,
Christiane Souleil, stewardess,
Liliane Perois, stewardess.

While at Lille 6,380 kg (96 bales) of fabric was loaded onto the aircraft, this was described in contemporary newspaper reports as being woolen piece goods. Once this was complete their flight plan was submitted to the Lille controller, it was a direct flight back to Speke, and they received a weather briefing for the planned route. This indicated that there would be dense cloud layers from 1000 feet upwards on the entire route with some rain. The wind as far as the London area was forecast to be from the Southwest at 35 to 40 knots and from the Northwest beyond there at a similar speed. The estimated flight time was 1 hour 30 minutes. The aircraft departed Lille at 14:38 GMT and made contact with the regional control at Uxbridge at 15:06, they reported that they had flown over the French coast in the Dunkerque area at 14:46. At around 15:15 they were over the east coast of England between Ipswich and Colchester, they were already someway off course due to the strong wind and this was confirmed with a position fix at 15:35 which put the aircraft over the fens in the Ely area. Had they not had the strong cross wind their intended track at this point would have taken them over Bedford. Upon confirming how far off course they were the pilot adopted a more westerly course and asked Uxbridge if he should contact the Manchester area control at Ringway, they replied yes. By around 16:00 to 16:05 was more or less back on the right course in the Stafford area. The crew never made contact with Ringway, their call-sign was heard at 15:59 but another aircraft was communicating with Ringway at the time. Once this transmission was completed the Ringway controller attempted to contact G-AIHU twice but failed to get a response, the crew had in fact made contact directly with the approach controller at Speke around the time of the second attempt by Ringway. This was to request a QTE (true bearing) from Speke, this was passed as 1340. At 16:10 the Speke controller asked the crew what their ETA was and they replied 16:20, three minutes later he gave the crew permission to enter the controlled airspace around Speke and circle the airfield. They were instructed to report when they had descended to 2,000 ft and reply by R/T (Radio Telephony) to the Aerodrome Controller, up to this point they had been communicating by morse (Wireless Telegraphy). No communication was received from them by R/T and after dealing with other aircraft the approach controller managed to re-establish contact at 16:28 by W/T. The crew reported in plain language "unable to raise 6440 - landing instructions?", they also requested a QDM (magnetic course to steer) at 16:32, this and the landing instructions were transmitted, the QDM was 0900 which put the aircraft to the west of Speke. The landing instructions were "QHG QHE2 QGP1 QFM 1000 ft" which translated as "you are cleared to enter the traffic circuit, inform me when you are on the down wind leg, your turn for landing is No.1, maintain (or fly at) an altitude of 1000 ft". The approach controller contacted the aircraft again at 16:35 to ask for their position and ETA, the receipt of this was acknowledged but no reply was ever received. Shortly after this the aircraft struck the trees on the top of Cwm Mountain at a recorded height of 998 feet above sea level and broke up. The wreckage was spread along a magnetic bearing of 0850 for some 400 yards. The aircraft had been flying with the flaps and undercarriage in the up position. All four crew members were killed. The AIB investigation revealed that the aircraft had over flown the airfield at Hooton Park near Ellesmere Port in a North Westerly direction at an estimated altitude of 400 to 450 feet at 16:15 and was next witnessed crossing the Welsh coast heading South West near Prestatyn at 16:30. At around the time the crew received the QDM of 090o the aircraft was heard by an Army officer in low cloud to the west of St Asaph heading East.
Crew:
John Hale Parsonage, pilot,
John Driver, copilot,
Allan Brook, navigator,
John E. Evans, radio operator.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales/walesg-aihu.htm

Following an uneventful supply mission over Courtrai, Belgium, the twin engine aircraft was returning to its base in Swanton Morlay, when the crew encountered engine problems and was forced to divert to Lille Airport. The crew completed a belly landing and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair while all four crew members were uninjured.
Crew (88th Squadron):
F/O J. B. Wilson,
P/O W. T. MacDonald,
F/L F. J. G. Patridge,
Sgt. T. Hunt.

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1839LT on an operation to Mannheim. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Lille. Four crew members became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
Sgt Bruno Bilinski,
Sgt Stanisław Konarzewski,
F/O Piotr Jozef Kowalski,
Sgt Kasimierz Roman Sobczak,
P/O Zbigniew Groyecki,
Sgt Jan Budzynski.

The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2235LT on August 26 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, the crew sent a mayday message at 0207LT indicating engine trouble on leaving the target area. Last heard at 0312LT then crashed in the vicinity of Lille. All six crew members were rescued, three became PoW and three evaded.
crew:
S/L Harry Emlyn Bufton,
Sgt Samuel Murray,
Sgt John Thomas Stickles,
Sgt Roger Plyer Wright,
Sgt W. F. Crampton,
Sgt K. B. Read.

While approaching the British coast, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of an RAF Spitfire and crashed into the sea some 24 km off Scarborough. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (9. Staffel III/KG 53):
Fw Otto Henkel, pilot,
Hptm Georg Pfeiffer, observer,
Gfr Fritz Nussbaum, gunner,
Uffz Hans Kiauk, wireless operator,
Gfr Kurt Christ, air gunner.

Crashed in unknown circumstances near Lille, possibly following an engine failure. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Peter Grüner,
Fw Adalbert Picking,
Gefr Rolf Hornbogen,
Fw Richard Dowjatow, mechanic,
Gefr Franz Gessner, air gunner.

The airplane departed Évreux-Saint-André Airport on a special mission to Lille, carrying three crew members and a load consisting of money. Approaching Lille-Ronchin Airfield, the airplane was mistakenly shot down by the British Flak and crashed. Two crew members were killed and a third bailed out and survived.
Crew:
Cpt Jacques Watrin, pilot,
Sgt/C Louis Antoine Albert Grisoni, navigator,
Sgt/C André Le Gall, air gunner.