Crash of an Avro 685 York I in RAF Riccall

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW161
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
MW161
YOM:
1945
Location:
Riccall AFB
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the crew heard a loud bang but continued the procedure. After rotation, the undercarriage were raised and the captain decided to return to RAF Ricall for a safe landing. As he was unable to lower the gear, he decided to perform a belly landing. On touchdown, the aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
A tyre burst during takeoff roll, damaging the undercarriage extension system. When the undercarriage were raised, the crew was unable to lower it again.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I in Colsterdale: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1943 at 0100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I
Operator:
Registration:
JB926
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Riccall - Riccall
Location:
Colsterdale
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Riccall on the evening of November 23 for a night training exercise with five other similar aircraft. Shortly after midnight, crew informed ground about severe icing and elected to return when the aircraft went out of control and crashed on a mountain slope locate near Colsterdale. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew (1658th HCU):
Sgt R. E. Bacon, pilot,
F/O H. McCarthy, navigator,
Sgt J. Titterton, flight engineer,
Sgt G. H. Manley, flight engineer,
Sgt B. F. Taylor, wireless operator,
Sgt J. J. MacGilliveray, bomb aimer,
Sgt A. Winton , air gunner,
Sgt D. E. Philips, air gunner.
Source: http://laituk.org/Halifax JB926.htm
Probable cause:
It was found that JB926 had in fact suffered severe structural failure in the air: the port outer wing had broken away, both outer engines had been torn off, as had both the port and starboard elevators. This together with the fact that the port wing tip was badly shattered and showed distinct scoring marks led again to conjecture that their had been some form of collision, either with another aircraft or a balloon cable. Later investigation found that the detached wing tip had almost certainly struck the fuselage of its own aircraft during the break up and the scoring marks had been made by JB926's own aerial wires.
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