Date & Time:
Mar 21, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
K6248
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cranage - Cranage
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training exercise from RAF Cranage. While flying at low height, the aircraft his tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located in Hawkeswood Farm, near Rednal. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (2nd SAN):
F/O Eric Walwyn Padfield, pilot,
Sgt Frederic Ralph Percival Burgess, pilot,
Sgt W. Hewish,
Sgt James Frederick Minnet, pilot,
Sgt Peter Rowland Hill, radio operator.
Crew (2nd SAN):
F/O Eric Walwyn Padfield, pilot,
Sgt Frederic Ralph Percival Burgess, pilot,
Sgt W. Hewish,
Sgt James Frederick Minnet, pilot,
Sgt Peter Rowland Hill, radio operator.
Probable cause:
The pilot failed to see and/or negotiate a large oak tree whilst carrying out a dummy run for a precautionary landing practice and probably opened throttle too late for recovery.
