Crash of a Martin PBM-5A Mariner at Valkenburg AFB

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1957 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
16-307
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Valkenburg - Valkenburg
Location:
Valkenburg AFB (Leiden)
South Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a demonstration flight, taking part to an airshow at Valkenburg AFB. Following uneventful rotations, the pilot started an approach with one engine voluntarily inoperative. On short final, the second engine lost power, the airplane stalled and hit the runway surface, slid for several yards and came to a halt. All five crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of power on one engine on final.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Asunción: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
ZP-CBB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Asunción - Asunción
MSN:
1608
Location:
Asunción
Distrito Capital
Country:
Paraguay
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed into the Río Paraguay in Asunción while making a demonstration flight. Two crewmen were killed while three others were rescued.

Crash of a Grumman UF-1G Albatross off Salem: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross
Operator:
Registration:
1278
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
G-287
YOM:
1953
Location:
Salem
Massachusetts
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed into the Salem Harbor while performing a JATO system demo flight. Two crew members were killed while four others were rescued. The aircraft was destroyed.
Those killed were:
LCDR Albert P. Hartt Jr.,
AO2 William J. Tarker Jr.

Crash of a Hurel-Dubois HD.321.02 off Rio de Janeiro: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Hurel-Dubois HD.321
Operator:
Registration:
F-BHHA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
02
YOM:
1956
Location:
Rio de Janeiro-Galeão
Rio de Janeiro
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft was involved in a demo flight to the Brazilian Air Force. In unknown circumstances, it went out of control and crashed into the Bay of Guanabara about 10 km off the Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport. Six occupants were rescued while a passenger was killed. The aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland MR.5 off Eastbourne: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1955 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.25 Sunderland
Operator:
Registration:
RN288
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pembroke Dock - Calshot
Location:
Eastbourne
East Sussex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Pembroke Dock for RAF Calshot and was detached to take part to a presentation to the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) celebrations at Eastbourne, and was supposed to be displayed to welcome the Duke of Edinburgh. While landing on rough sea, the airplane hit waves, nosed down and plunged into the water before coming to rest few dozen yards off shore. Four crew members were killed, two other were injured and eight were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a SCAN-30L in the Biel Lake: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 28, 1955
Type of aircraft:
SCAN-30
Operator:
Intercontinental Aviation
Registration:
F-BFHD
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
4
YOM:
1949
Location:
Biel
Bern
Country:
Switzerland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a demonstration flight when the amphibian aircraft crashed into the Biel Lake. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot Alain Sanstad was killed.

Crash of a Casa 352 in Lérida

Date & Time: May 20, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Casa 352
Operator:
Registration:
T.2B-270
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lérida - Lérida
MSN:
161
Location:
Lérida
Catalonia
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to an air show in Lérida. On final, the three engine aircraft was too low and hit the ground before coming to rest in a ravine. All six crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Devon at Wigram AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1953 at 1555 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
NZ1811
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wigram - Wigram
MSN:
04321
YOM:
1952
Location:
Wigram AFB (Christchurch)
Canterbury Regional Council
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to the celebrations of the London - Christchurch Rallye anniversary. Two RNZAF Devon's registered NZ1810 and NZ1811 were engaged in a demonstration at Wigram Airbase. While approaching the airfield from the south at an altitude of 1,200 feet, both aircraft collided with their wings (it appears that the right wing of NZ1810 touched the left wing of NZ1811). Out of control, both airplanes dove into the ground and crashed in a paddock located about 700 meters from the airbase and were totally destroyed. All seven crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew on board NZ1810:
F/Lt Edwin Pattison Booth Ebbett, pilot,
A1c Brian James Keogh,
A1c Eric Melrose.
Crew on board NZ1811:
S/L Sholto Russell Duncan, pilot,
A1c William Henry Sharman,
A2c Russell Woodcock,
Lt Erling William Ziesler.
Probable cause:
Wrong judgement on part of both crew members while flying in formation.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Devon at Wigram AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1953 at 1555 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
NZ1810
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wigram - Wigram
MSN:
04318
YOM:
1951
Location:
Wigram AFB (Christchurch)
Canterbury Regional Council
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to the celebrations of the London - Christchurch Rallye anniversary. Two RNZAF Devon's registered NZ1810 and NZ1811 were engaged in a demonstration at Wigram Airbase. While approaching the airfield from the south at an altitude of 1,200 feet, both aircraft collided with their wings (it appears that the right wing of NZ1810 touched the left wing of NZ1811). Out of control, both airplanes dove into the ground and crashed in a paddock located about 700 meters from the airbase and were totally destroyed. All seven crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew on board NZ1810:
F/Lt Edwin Pattison Booth Ebbett, pilot,
A1c Brian James Keogh,
A1c Eric Melrose.
Crew on board NZ1811:
S/L Sholto Russell Duncan, pilot,
A1c William Henry Sharman,
A2c Russell Woodcock,
Lt Erling William Ziesler.
Probable cause:
Wrong judgement on part of both crew members while flying in formation.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 1A in Mauripur: 11 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1953 at 0335 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.106 Comet
Operator:
Registration:
CF-CUN
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Rome – Beirut – Karachi – Yangon – Jakarta – Darwin – Sydney
MSN:
6014
YOM:
1952
Location:
Mauripur AFB (Karachi)
Sindh (سنڌ سندھ)
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Aircraft flight hours:
51
Circumstances:
The crew (five flying crew and six De Havilland engineers) were conducting a demo flight from London to Sydney to show this new jetliner to potential clients in Southeast Asia and Oceania. While taking off from runway 25 (2,500 meters long) at Mauripur Airbase, the airplane failed to get airborne, overran, hit several obstacles, went through a perimeter fence and eventually crashed in flames in a small river. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all 11 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the fact that the nose of the aircraft was lifted too high during the takeoff run, resulting in a partially stalled condition and excessive drag. This did not permit normal acceleration and prevented the aircraft from becoming airborne within the prescribed distance. The pilot appears to have realised that the nose was excessively high and took corrective action, but this was done too late to prevent the aircraft striking an obstruction immediately beyond the perimeter fence before it became airborne. The following factor was considered as contributory: the pilot, who had only limited experience in the Comet aircraft, elected to takeoff at night at the maximum permissible takeoff for the prevailing conditions. The circumstances required strict adherence to the prescribed takeoff technique, which was not complied with.
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