Date & Time:
Feb 20, 1940 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Saro A.36 Lerwick
Operator:
Registration:
L7253
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oban - Oban
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Took off from Oban at 1130LT but was forced to return at 1230LT due to bad weather. Approaching Oban, the pilot decided to land well out in the Firth of Lorne due to poor visibility. Apparently owing to an error in judgment, he stalled the aircraft onto the water, causing it to bounce several times some 5 miles west of Oban off the lighthouse, at the southern point of Lismore Island. In doing this, the starboard wing tip float was knocked off and the aircraft heeled over, causing water to enter through the windows. All the crew managed to get out into the water before the aircraft sank. Unfortunately, the pilot was killed while three other crew members were missing.
Crew (209th Squadron):
F/S George A. Corby, pilot, †
P/O W. E. Ogle-Skan,
AC2 Taylor,
AC1 Richard J. Webber, †
AC2 Lawrence H. Trumay, †
LAC George Peterson. †
Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1941
Crew (209th Squadron):
F/S George A. Corby, pilot, †
P/O W. E. Ogle-Skan,
AC2 Taylor,
AC1 Richard J. Webber, †
AC2 Lawrence H. Trumay, †
LAC George Peterson. †
Sources: CWGC and Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1941
Probable cause:
Poor judgement on part of the crew.
