Vordingborg | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2053LT on September 11 on an operation to Warnemünde. It was ditched into the sea off Vordingborg, Denmark. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt F. E. Bowen,
Sgt Colin Robert Dillon Browne,
Sgt Alexander Albert John Goss,
Sgt Jack Overson,
P/O Robert Taylor Charles Oliver White.

Crash of a Lockheed 10A Electra off Vordingborg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1939 at 1320 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

G-AESY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

London – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Hambourg

MSN:

1102

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While flying some 80 km south of Copenhagen, the crew informed ATC about a fire on board and reduced his altitude. Due to a sudden hazardous situation, the captain attempted to ditch the aircraft off Vordingborg. The aircraft hit the water surface and before it came to rest, the copilot jump into the water. He was slightly injured and quickly rescued while the aircraft sank rapidly. All five other occupants were killed, among them two employees from the Standard Oil Company based in New Jersey.

Probable cause:

Fuel vapor ignited either in its cabin or the space in its port wing, necessitating a forced landing. The blaze was attributed to the leakage of gasoline from the overflow boxes, which in turn must have resulted from the overfilling of its fuel tanks. However, the cause of the ignition of the fuel could not be determined.