Date & Time:
Mar 10, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
VM386
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Gibraltar – Lisbon
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Gibraltar to Lisbon to assist the crew of a RAF Halifax that diverted to Lisbon. While flying over the Atlantic Ocean, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot decided to divert to Tangiers and later to Cadix. As the aircraft was short of fuel, he was forced to ditch the airplane 56 km south of Cadix and the radio operator was able to send a brief message before the aircraft impacted water and sank. All three crew members and two passengers took refuge in a dinghy while a third passenger drowned.
Crew (224th Squadron):
F/O Wilson, pilot,
F/O Ferguson, navigator,
F/Lt Joseph Charles Laurier Roger Labelle, wireless operator.
Passengers:
F/O Miller, †
Sgt Dobbs,
SAC C. Chambers.
Crew (224th Squadron):
F/O Wilson, pilot,
F/O Ferguson, navigator,
F/Lt Joseph Charles Laurier Roger Labelle, wireless operator.
Passengers:
F/O Miller, †
Sgt Dobbs,
SAC C. Chambers.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion in bad weather.
