Date & Time:
May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED864
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 15 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. While overflying Germany by night, the crew lost his orientation and convinced he was flying to the wrong direction, the captain decided to reduce his altitude to follow a canal to the southeast. Flying at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit high tension cables and crashed in a huge explosion. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
F/Lt William Astell, pilot,
Sgt John Kinnear, flight engineer,
P/O Floyd Alvin Wile, navigator,
F/O Donald Hopkinson, air bomber,
Sgt Abram Garshowitz, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Francis Anthony Garbas, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Richard Bolitho, air gunner.
Crew (617th Squadron):
F/Lt William Astell, pilot,
Sgt John Kinnear, flight engineer,
P/O Floyd Alvin Wile, navigator,
F/O Donald Hopkinson, air bomber,
Sgt Abram Garshowitz, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Francis Anthony Garbas, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Richard Bolitho, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Crew error.
