Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Newtonville: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1940 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
770
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Rockcliffe - Toronto
MSN:
414-1757
YOM:
1940
Location:
Newtonville
Ontario
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed RCAF Rockcliffe on a special flight to Toronto, carrying three crew members and the Minister of Defence Norman Rogers. As the flight progressed, the crew pressed on into deteriorating weather, including low ceiling and poor visibility. It is thought that the pilot was trying to locate a safe landing site near Newtonville when the starboard wing struck some trees while it was making a 45° bank turn. The Hudson impacted the ground and disintegrated, killing all four occupants.
Probable cause:
Investigation concluded that the pilot lost visual reference to the ground during a steep turn towards rising terrain without first gaining a safe altitude. A contributing factor was the fact that the Hudson had a tendency to experience some loss of control during a steep turn.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.86A Express in Kirby-in-Furness

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1939
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.86 Express
Operator:
Registration:
L7596
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Biggin Hill - Belfast
MSN:
2348
YOM:
1936
Location:
Kirby-in-Furness
Cumbria
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Belfast, the crew encountered technical problems in low visibility due to fog. The Captain decided to divert to Blackpool but was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field due to fuel shortage. The aircraft eventually crash landed near Kirby-in-Furness, some three miles northwest of Ulverston. All three occupants, among them the British State Secretary for Aviation Sir Kingsley Wood, were uninjured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Fokker F8 in Karamata

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F8
Operator:
Registration:
YV-AFO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
5041
YOM:
1928
Location:
Uruyén
Bolívar
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a search flight following the abduction of Captain Cardona Puig by local Indians. The pilot landed with a tail wind component and was unable to stop the aircraft on the remaining distance. The aircraft overran and came to rest in a ditch, bursting into flames. The fire was quickly extinguished, all four occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was recovered in 2001 and ferried to The Netherlands by the Aviodome Museum.

Crash of a Potez 540 in Beaumont-la-Ronce: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1938 at 0015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Potez 540
Operator:
Registration:
F-ANJO
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tours – Vélizy-Villacoublay
MSN:
75
YOM:
1936
Location:
Beaumont-la-Ronce
Indre-et-Loire
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
On the evening of 22 June 1938, the crew completed some training maneuvers at the airports of Orléans, Châteauroux and Tours before returning to their base at Vélizy-Villacoublay. The twin engine aircraft departed Tours-Parçay-Meslay Airport shortly after midnight on 23 June 1938. An engine misfired few minutes after takeoff and the pilot attempted an emergency landing when the right wing impacted the ground. The aircraft crashed in Beaumont-la-Ronce, some 15 km north of Tours Airport, and was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. All seven occupants were killed. They were performing a mission on behalf of the Section Centrale des Transports Aériens (SCTA).
Crew:
Cpt Georges Reynaud,
Lt Paul Canal,
LtdV René Perret,
Sgt/C Albert Thibault,
Sgt Yves Fabres.
Passengers:
Cpt Maurice Marmagnant
Cpt Jean Raineri.
Probable cause:
The commission did not find the exact cause of the engine failure but the crew made a sharp turn to the right at low altitude to avoid a hill, causing the right wing to struck the ground.

Crash of a Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio in Zuara: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Caproni Ca.310/311/312/313
Operator:
Registration:
I-ENEI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Zuara
Nuqat al Khams (النقاط الخمس)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed London on a flight to Cape Town on behalf of the Ministero dell'Aeronautica. While approaching the Libyan coast, the crew was forced to divert to the nearest airport due to fuel exhaustion. On approach to Zuara Airfield located 47 km from the Libya-Tunisia border, the airplane crashed on an Italian Military Camp. While all four crew members were injured, three people on the ground were killed.

Crash of a CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone off Natal: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1938
Type of aircraft:
CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone
Operator:
Registration:
I-LAMA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Natal - Dakar
MSN:
491
YOM:
1937
Location:
Natal
Rio Grande do Norte
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The float plane was completing a tour between South America and Italy on behalf of the Ministero dell'Aeronautica, carrying six crew members. Few minutes after takeoff from Natal, the airplane caught fire, exploded and crashed into the ocean. A crew member was rescued while five others were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Mario Stoppani,
Cpt Mario Viola, †
Cpt Molinari, †
Cpt Enrico Comani, radio operator, †
Demetrio Jaira, mechanic, †
Renato Pogliani. †

Crash of a Fokker F7b/3m in Helsinki

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F7
Operator:
Registration:
SP-AOE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Warsaw – Helsinki
MSN:
5/6
YOM:
1935
Location:
Helsinki-Malmi
Uusimaa
Country:
Finland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft was performing a special flight for the Polish Government. In unknown circumstances, it crash landed at Helsinki-Malmi Airport and came to rest against the perimeter fence. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and there were no injuries among the occupants.

Crash of a Sikorsky S-38 off Suances: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Sikorsky S-38
Operator:
Government of the Basque Country
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
314-15
YOM:
1929
Location:
Suances
Cantabria
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The float plane was shot down by the pilot of a Polikarpov I-5 and crashed into the sea off Suances. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Francisco Casals,
Gabriel Nuevo Avendaño,
Arturo Mellado Ortiz,
Perfecto Saiz Martínez.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Farman F.390 in Saint-Georges-sur-Loire

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Farman F.390
Operator:
Registration:
F-AMOR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
La Baule – Chartres
MSN:
6
YOM:
1933
Location:
Saint-Georges-sur-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed La Baule-Escoublac Airport on a flight to Chartres with one pilot and one passenger on board. En route, he encountered engine problems and decided to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing in a wheat field. The aircraft landed long and eventually collided with a tree before coming to rest. Both occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was had the dual registration F-AMOR and CT-16.
Crew:
Gaston Lefol, pilot.
Passenger:
Albert Etévé, General Inspector for Aeronautic.

Crash of a Junkers G.31fo in Germany

Date & Time: May 31, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Junkers G.31
Operator:
Registration:
D-ABIL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3008
YOM:
1928
Location:
Germany
All Germany
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
In unknown circumstances, the Junkers G.31fo registered D-ABIL collided with a Junkers JU.52/3m registered D-APUT, somewhere over Germany (exact place unknown). It seems that the JU52 was able to land safely while the JU31 crashed. The occupant fate remains unknown as well as the exact date of the occurrence, somewhere in May 1936.
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