Date & Time: Oct 6, 1946 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW125
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Northolt – Cairo – Calcutta – Penang – Singapore
MSN:
MW125
YOM:
1944
Location:
Malacca Strait
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
15
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
While flying over the Malacca Strait in poor weather conditions, while on a flight from Northolt to Singapore, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in to the sea about 100 miles west of Pulau Penang. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted and the crew of a RAF Short Sunderland spotted some debris few days later. Unfortunately, few pieces only were found and no trace of the 21 occupants that were considered as deceased. At the time of the accident, weather consisted of thunderstorm and turbulence.
Crew (511th Squadron):
F/Lt Donald Harold Courtenay, pilot,
F/O David John Johns, copilot,
F/O Wilfred Walter Armstrong, navigator,
A1C Francis Norman Beckett,
LAC Tom Bone,
W/O Raymond John Nicholas Bowerman,
A1C Ronald Charles Clarke,
LAC Donald Cowell,
LAC Maldwyn Wallace Davies,
A1C Francis Flood,
A2C George Albert Griffiths,
LAC Roy Leslie Mowser Stilwell,
F/Sgt Ivan Kendrick,
Cpl Ronald Kirk,
LAC James Frederick Latham,
F/Sgt John Johnston Leitch,
F/Lt Clifford James McPherson,
Sgt Timothy Christopher Murphy,
LAC Granville Reginald Pritchard,
W/O Leonard Sawkins,
A2C William Norman Westbury.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty.