Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after takeoff from runway 06 at Woodbourne AFB in Blenheim, while climbing, the pilot-in-command made a turn to right when the aircraft entered clouds. Six minutes later, the twin engine airplane hit the slope of a mountain located near Taylor Pass, about 12 km southeast of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Richard Webb,
F/Lt James Brookes,
F/Sgt Phillip Diebert,
Sgt John Collins,
Sgt Thomas Dean.

Probable cause:

It was determined that Captain Richard Webb who was the commanding officer at Whenuapai boarded the flight at Woodbourne. He was not a qualified pilot on the Bristol 170 but was at controls when the accident occurred. It was established that he was seating in the left hand seat while the captain on this flight occupied the right hand seat as pilot in second. The departure was completed under IFR from runway 06 and the airplane entered clouds during the initial climb. Instead of continuing strait ahead over the Cook Strait, the airplane turned to the right over a mountainous area. Navigation instruments were not tuned to the correct beacon (Blenheim NDB), which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Iron Mountain: 10 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

KB995

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Vancouver – San Diego

Location:

Iron Mountain

Oregon

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On a flight from Vancouver to San Diego, the four engine aircraft crashed on the Iron Mountain located in the Syskiyou Mountain Range, southern Oregon. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Joseph Yvon Aurele Elias Bourgeois,
F/O John William Brownie,
F/O Robert James Calder,
F/O David Fair Lancaster Ellis,
F/O Kenneth Edgar Elsden,
LAC John Haraldson,
F/O Harry Charles Maddick,
Cpl Donald Gordon Lancaster Spence,
F/O Cyril Jerome Lancaster Williams,
LAC William Henry Waldron.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-50-DT Invader in North Korea: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

44-35882

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

MSN:

29161

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire. After the right engine was hit in flight and caught fire, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed. It appears that two crew members bailed out while two others were killed.
Crew:
A1c Jerome Karpowicz, †
Cpt Raymond W. Quesnell,
1st Lt Clifford G. Selman, †
Cpt John E. Walseth Jr.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire.

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 in Luqa: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Valetta

Operator:

Registration:

VW810

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

371

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Luqa Airfield, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked slightly to the right, apparently due to jammed ailerons. The pilot-in-command decided to land back and the aircraft touched down past the runway end, in a grassy area. To avoid any collision with the controller's caravan, the crew raised the undercarriage. The airplane slid for several yards and the left wing hit the caravan and was sheared off before the airplane came to rest in flames. Two passengers were killed while 20 others were evacuated, three of them injured.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 in Milan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.82

Operator:

Registration:

MM61197

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Milan-Malpensa Airport, while in initial climb, the three engine aircraft went out of control and crashed, killing all four crew members.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left wing shortly after rotation.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-20-DT Invader in North Korea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

43-22449

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

18596

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While flying along the east coast of North Korea during a night mission, the Invader was shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire and crashed, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
Cpt Kenneth L. Doolittle,
1st Lt Roger C. Hall Sr.,
A2c Gerald Jones.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-8 in Chehalis: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

17196

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

43357

YOM:

1944

Location:

Chehalis

Washington

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An unexpected situation was encountered in flight and ten crew members bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in Chehalis. The eleventh occupant who stayed on board was killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Catamayo: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FAE503

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Catamayo (ex Camilo Ponce Enríquez)

Loja

Country:

Ecuador

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Catamayo Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames, killing both pilots, Col Ernesto Delgado Mosquera and Cpt Galo Torres Moreano.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-55-DT Invader in North Korea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

44-35961

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

29240

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Last radio contact at 2230LT on March 31. The twin engine aircraft was shot down during the night by enemy antiaircraft fire and crashed in a paddy field. No trace of the four members was found.
Crew:
Col Sherman R. Beaty,
1st Lt Lloyd P. Bowman,
A1c Charles A. Lambert,
Maj Harold J. Titus.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire.