Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Crashed shortly after take off from Batchelor Airport, Northern Territories. All five occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The reason of the mishap remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-112 in the Sumba Strait

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

A30-8

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Surabaya – Kupang

MSN:

1291

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

On a flight from Surabaya to Kupang, while cruising along the Flores Island, the twin engine airplane was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed in the Sumba Strait. All four crew members were rescued and transferred to Australia while the airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/O Noel Wilson Webster,
F/Sgt Lionel Maurice Van Praag,
Sgt Eric Picker,
Cpl Frederick Christopher James Mason.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Farman F.222.2 in Tizi Ouzou: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1942 at 0600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Farman F.220/F.224

Operator:

Registration:

L-208

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

YOM:

1940

Location:

Tizi Ouzou

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At 0600LT, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Tizi Ouzou. The passenger Sgt Aimé Augier survived while seven others were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed 10 Electra in MacGregor: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

7841

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Weyburn - Winnipeg

MSN:

1012

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane departed Weyburn on a flight to Winnipeg after collecting ferry pilots on completion of their duty. It was seen in the vicinity of MacGregor, where witnesses state evidence that engines were not operating properly. The airplane stalled and dove into the ground, killing all seven occupants.
Crew:
F/Lt William John Dyson, pilot.
Passengers:
Sgt J. L. Clark,
W/O William Frederick Field,
Sgt H. M. Holland,
LAC T. C. Bate,
Sgt A. R. Lane,
F/O John Henry Thrift.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident could not be determined.

Final Report:

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Meppen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942 at 2036 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9315

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2379

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1703LT on a leaflet dropping mission over Germany (Nickel operation). It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Meppen. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Harvey Jennings Grut, pilot, †
Sgt Robert Alfred Hamilton, pilot, †
Sgt Charles Henry Stokell, wireless operator, †
Sgt Alfred Waterworth, air gunner, †
Sgt Vincent Sylvester Mancini.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I in Box: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

AW395

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Colerne - Charmy Down

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Colerne, while on a short flight to the nearby airfield of RAF Charmy Down, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field located in Box, about 4 km south of RAF Colerne. All three crew members were killed.
Crew.
Sgt Jozef Armanowski,
P/O Stanisław Gasak,
P/O Lynn Frederick Hobbs, observer.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-5 in Heraklion: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+FP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

3874

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances at Heraklion Airport. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew:
Lt Horst Simon, pilot, †
Ogefr Johann Krause, observer,
Ogefr Walter Herrmann, radio operator, †
Ogefr Willi Bormann, flight engineer. †

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson II off Papua New Guinea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

A16-87

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

414-1941

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane was shot down by a Japanese fighter and crashed into the sea off PNG. The exact place of occurrence remains unknown. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (8th Squadron):
F/O Kenneth Vernon Hewett +3.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Sesimbra: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1942 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z9098

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Portreath - Gibraltar

Location:

Sesimbra

Estremadura - Lisbon District

Country:

Portugal

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Portreath on a transit flight to Gibraltar with a crew of six on board. While passing over Portugal, it is believed that it was mistakenly shot down by friendly fire (HM Trawler Loch Oskaig) and crashed on a beach in Sesimbra. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew.
P/O Kenneth Duncan Adams, pilot, †
Sgt Noel Arnold Graystone, pilot, †
Sgt Hugh Berry, wireless operator, †
Sgt Thomas Patrick McBride, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. K. Evans,
Sgt L. F. J. Harris.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by friendly fire.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress near Bangkalan

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-2468

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

2279

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the crew encountered unknown problems and attempted to make an emergency landing. With its gear retracted, the aircraft crash landed in a marshy field 25 km northeast of Bangkalan and was damaged beyond repair. All eight occupants were uninjured.