Zone

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley on Mt Hochlichtspitze: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
N1382
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
MSN:
1546
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2011LT on August 16 to bomb an aircraft factory located in Augsburg, Bavaria. The crew encountered poor weather conditions and apparently deviated from the prescribed route when the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Hochlichtspitze (2,600 metres high) located about 143 km southwest from Augsburg. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Mark Hubbard Rogers, pilot,
Sgt Maurice William James Pollard, pilot,
Sgt Sidney George Jermond, observer,
Sgt Walter Frank Haywood, wireless operator,
Sgt James Patterson, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.