Region
Europe

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 in Bitburg: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1955 at 0035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 694 Lincoln
Operator:
Registration:
WD131
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
Bitburg AFB
Rhineland-Palatinate
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training mission, completing some tests for a new radar system on behalf of the 199th Squadron based at RAF Hemswell. While cruising by night at an altitude of 17,000 feet over the region of the Bitburg Airbase, the four engine aircraft collided with a USAF Sabre registered 52-3933 and carrying one pilot. Following the collision, the pilot of the Sabre ejected and was found alive. Unfortunately, the Lincoln lost a part of a wing, dove into the ground and crashed in an uninhabited area located near the Luxembourg border, killing all six crew members. At the time of the accident, the crew of the Avro was flying without any navigation lights for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-45-BN Superfortress near Owen: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1955 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-61780
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Molesworth – Stuttgart
MSN:
11257
YOM:
1944
Location:
Owen
Baden-Württemberg
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, to Stuttgart. While approaching Stuttgart-Echterdingen Airport by night, the crew was contacted by ATC and rerouted to Fürstenfeldbruck Airbase near Munich due to insufficient visibility caused by foggy conditions. Few minutes later, while cruising at low height, the airplane hit the slope of Mt Teckberg located about 1,5 km east of Owen. All ten crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador 2 in Düsseldorf

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador
Operator:
Registration:
G-AMAB
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Düsseldorf – London
MSN:
5224
YOM:
1951
Location:
Düsseldorf-Lohausen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
47
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
About six minutes after takeoff from Düsseldorf-Lohausen Airport, while in initial climb, the crew reported engine problems and received the permission to return. At this time, it appears that the left engine went into reverse. After completing a circuit, the pilot continued the approach at low height and in poor weather conditions when high tension wires forced him to gain height. He increased power on the right engine but the aircraft stalled and hit the ground with its left wing that was severely bent and partially sheared off. Upon impact, the left engine was sheared off and the airplane came to rest in a muddy field located few km from the airport. All 53 occupants were evacuated and only the crew was slightly injured. The aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was due to:
- the propeller of the left-hand engine going into brake position during climb. The technical reason for this occurrence so far has not been found,
- the weather which made the approach rather difficult. In good weather conditions the landing would probably have been successful.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 at Wildenrath AFB: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
TX238
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wildenrath - Wildenrath
Location:
Wildenrath AFB
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3000
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3000
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training sortie at Wildenrath AFB. On final approach, the twin engine aircraft collided with a RAF Sabre registered XB634 and carrying one pilot. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located near the airbase. Both aircraft were destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Both crews were considered as responsible for the accident as they failed to see each other and failed to adhere to approach procedures.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Frankfurt

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1954
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Autair Ltd
Registration:
G-AGUR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Luton – Frankfurt
MSN:
6910
YOM:
1945
Location:
Frankfurt-Main
Hesse
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
A tire burst on landing. For unknown reason, the captain decided to go around when the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed near the runway end. The airplane was destroyed and all seven occupants were injured.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in Kyritz: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGNY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Hamburg – Berlin
MSN:
1226
YOM:
1946
Location:
Kyritz
Brandenburg
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While flying at an altitude of 7,500 feet, the engine number one detached from the wing. The pilot-in-command lost control of the aircraft that went into a dive and crashed in a field located in Kyritz. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson XIX near Jever AFB

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
PH844
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Jever AFB
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to a fuel exhaustion. The twin engine aircraft crash landed 8 km northwest of Jever AFB. All four crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 610 Viking 1B in Nuremberg

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viking
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHPO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Nuremberg
MSN:
157
YOM:
1947
Location:
Nuremberg
Bavaria
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The final approach to Nuremberg Airport was completed in marginal weather conditions with a visibility below minima. After touchdown on runway 10, the twin engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest near a road. All 11 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was caused by a wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who completed the approach in poor weather conditions, reducing the visibility below minima. The aircraft landed too far down the runway, reducing the landing distance available. In such conditions, it was unable to stop within the remaining distance available.

Crash of a Convair CV-240-12 in Frankfurt: 44 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1953 at 1454 LT
Type of aircraft:
Convair CV-240
Operator:
Registration:
OO-AWQ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Salzburg – Frankfurt – Brussels
MSN:
154
YOM:
1949
Location:
Frankfurt-Main
Hesse
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
40
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
44
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Frankfurt-Main Airport, while in initial climb, the crew noticed a loss of power on both engines. In the mean time, the crew raised the flaps according to procedures. The aircraft then stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Kelsterbach, about three km north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 44 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The loss of power may be attributed to the heavy deposit of lead on the sparking plugs. During takeoff, as the plugs warmed up, circuit was formed by the metal deposits, resulting in the short circuiting of the plugs. There was nothing to show any other contributory causes. A contributory cause of the crash may have been the pilot's decision to continue the takeoff, and the probable retraction of the landing flaps at extensively low speed and low altitude, unless the loss of power by both engines in the phase immediately before the crash was so great that the disaster was unavoidable. There is no evidence that the lead coating process in the sparking plugs occurred suddenly. The investigation showed that the process had been continuous. It was not possible to determine, from the data available, whether the periods specified by the makers of the engines for overhaul of plugs should be considered adequate in all cases.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford in Lammersdorf: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 5, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
O-14
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Cologne – Brussels
Location:
Lammersdorf
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On a flight from Cologne to Brussels, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances on Mt Eifel near Lammersdorf. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Deblon,
Sgt Demeyer,
Ss/Lt Malcoye,
Ss/Lt Balbeur.
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