Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 at RAF Upwood

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Avro 694 Lincoln
Operator:
Registration:
WD128
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Upwood AFB
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, the airplane hit a truck with its undercarriage. The crew completed a holding circuit vertical to the airfield for several hours to burn fuel and eventually returned to RAF Upwood for an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed in a grassy area parallel to runway 06, slid for dozen yards and came to rest. All six crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Collision with truck on takeoff.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 in RAF Upwood

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Avro 694 Lincoln
Operator:
Registration:
RF453
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Upwood AFB
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from RAF Upwood, while in initial climb, the engine number three caught fire. The captain retarded the throttle and ordered the flight engineer to shut down the engine. For unknown reason, the flight engineer mistakenly shot down the engine number two instead of the number three. With insufficient power, the aircraft stalled and crashed in an open field located few hundred yards past the runway end. While all five crew members were slightly injured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The cause of the fire on engine number three remains unclear. Wrong reaction on part of the flight engineer who shot down the wrong engine.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 in RAF Marham: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Avro 694 Lincoln
Operator:
Registration:
SX923
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood – Marham
Location:
Marham AFB
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
During the final approach completed by night with the flaps fully deployed, the engine number three failed. The airplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion short of runway 06 threshold. Five crew members were killed while the sixth occupant was seriously injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt B. Wejman, †
F/Sgt R. E. Griffith, †
Sgt W. Pickering, †
Sgt F. R. Edwards, †
F/O M. L. Chatterjee, †
Sgt J. F. Groom.
Probable cause:
Failure of the engine number three.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster B.1 off Selsey: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
TW908
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Selsey
West Sussex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training exercice called 'Bullseye', consisting of an in flight interception of a RAF Mosquito. While flying by night over The Channel, both aircraft collided and crashed into the sea about 8 miles south of Selsey. All seven crew members were killed as well as both pilots on board the Mosquito registered RL116.
Crew (148th Squadron):
F/O Jack Oldham, pilot
Donald McUsbie McCall, navigator,
William Meldrum, navigator,
Lyndon Harold Stevens, flight engineer,
Eric George Clarke, signaler,
Sydney Arthur Mason, gunner,
Cyril James Chapman, gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in RAF Upwood

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
PA450
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Upwood AFB
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew from the 49th Squadron was completing a local training sortie in RAF Upwood. For unknown reason, the aircraft landed hard, bounced and lost its undercarriage. It then slid for several yards before coming to rest. All four crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Upwood: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1944 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7823
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Upwood AFB
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night Target Indicator training exercise on behalf of the RAF Pathfinder Navigation Training Unit. Shortly after takeoff from RAF Upwood, the four engine aircraft encountered problems to gain height, hit tree tops and crashed in flames near the village of Upwood. Nine crew were killed while one crewman was seriously injured. Unfortunately, he died a day later.
Crew:
Bernard Francis McSorley,
Frederick Joseph Jervis,
Geoffrey William Clifton Candlin,
Louis Lawrence Oram,
Wilfred George Stoneman,
William Ellenor,
Annesley Richard Kavanagh,
Herbert Alfred William Jolly,
Bejoy Krishna Mitra,
Arthur Charles Preston.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Sutton Bridge

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 1835 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z5949
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Sutton Bridge AFB
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Upwood on a navigation exercise. En route, one of the engine failed due to fuel starvation and the crew diverted to RAF Sutton Bridge. On short final, the undercarriage collided with a raised bank and was torn off. The airplane crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Joseph Leslie Harrison Haegerty, pilot,
P/O John Norman Jenkinson, observer,
Sgt Edward Patrick Moakler, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
The pilot had taken off with the fuel cocks in the wrong position, causing an engine to fail in flight due to fuel starvation. Due to a too low approach, the airplane collided with a raised bank on short final, causing the undercarriage to be torn off.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Boston Spa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1942 at 0927 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
N3538
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Boston Spa
West Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Upwood on a cross country exercise. While cruising at night, the airplane collided with high tension cables and crashed in Boston Spa, bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Curlet, pilot,
P/O John Douglas Lamb McColl, observer,
Sgt Eric Johnson, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Colston Bassett

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1942 at 1125 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L6804
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Colston Bassett
Nottinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot departed RAF Upwood on a solo training exercise. While cruising in very bad weather conditions at an altitude of 1,000 feet, an engine failed. The pilot climbed to 3,200 feet then abandoned the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in Colston Bassett, bursting into flames. The pilot was uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Geoffrey David Jessup, pilot.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Birmingham: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1942 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z5899
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Birmingham
West Midlands
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Upwood on a low level training exercise, between 500 and 600 feet. Approaching the city of Birmingham in poor visibility, the airplane collided with the cable of a barrage balloon. Upon impact, the right wing was severed and the airplane entered a dive before crashing in Bearwood, in the suburb of Birmingham. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Thomas Kyle, pilot,
Sgt Louis Stanhope De Lisser, observer,
Sgt Ernest Scott, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.
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