Date & Time:
Jan 11, 1955 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 696 Shackleton
Operator:
Registration:
WL743
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
YOM:
1953
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF St Eval at 1020LT for a 15 hours training mission, preceded by six minutes from a first RAF Avro 696 Shackleton MR.2 registered WG531 and carrying nine crew members as well. The last radio contact was recorded at 2058LT and two minutes later, both aircraft disappeared simultaneously. SAR operations were conducted but all operations were suspended few days later as no trace of both aircraft nor the 18 crew members was found. More than eleven years later, a fisherman found in is fishnet the engine number four from the Shackleton registered WL743 about 75 miles north of the assumed collision point.
Crew (42nd Squadron):
P/O L. W. Wood, pilot,
Sgt H. Davies, pilot,
F/O N. Horrocks, navigator,
F/O G. Molyneux, navigator,
Sgt D. Male, flight engineer,
Mst I. O. Cathcart, air signaler,
Sgt C. W. Scott, air signaler,
Sgt R. E. Ridgers, air signaler,
Sgt L. W. Cooper, air signaler.
Crew (42nd Squadron):
P/O L. W. Wood, pilot,
Sgt H. Davies, pilot,
F/O N. Horrocks, navigator,
F/O G. Molyneux, navigator,
Sgt D. Male, flight engineer,
Mst I. O. Cathcart, air signaler,
Sgt C. W. Scott, air signaler,
Sgt R. E. Ridgers, air signaler,
Sgt L. W. Cooper, air signaler.
Probable cause:
Without probent elements, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the accident was the result of an in-flight collision that occurred in reduced visibility.
