Date & Time:
Mar 18, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
NG437
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft encountered serious difficulties to gain height and was in a constant stall attitude, with nose up and tail down. The captain increased engine power but the aircraft lost height, hit the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (1653 HCU):
Sgt Anthony Fredrick Barnard Blaikley,
W/O Reginald Thomas Nutting,
Sgt Anthony Bone,
F/Sgt Frank Keighley Dexter,
F/Sgt Alexander John Rossiter,
F/Sgt Alfred Albert Willis Thomas,
Sgt Thomas Edward Valler.
Crew (1653 HCU):
Sgt Anthony Fredrick Barnard Blaikley,
W/O Reginald Thomas Nutting,
Sgt Anthony Bone,
F/Sgt Frank Keighley Dexter,
F/Sgt Alexander John Rossiter,
F/Sgt Alfred Albert Willis Thomas,
Sgt Thomas Edward Valler.
Probable cause:
The pilot was completing his first flight on this aircraft as a captain and probably put the elevators in a wrong setting at takeoff.
