Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mge on Mt Leitha

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
1Z+KK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
5015
YOM:
1934
Location:
Mt Leitha
Lower Austria
Country:
Austria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route to Arad, Romania, with a group of 15 others JU.52 registered to the 'Willerding Gruppe', the crew encountered very bad weather conditions in the area of Vienna. In limited visibility due to fog and snow falls, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Leitha (484 metres high) located about 35 km southeast of Vienna. All three crew members were injured. On the group of 16 airplanes, five crashed in the same area and 11 others landed in Arad around 1500LT.
Crew:
Uffz Wilhelm Frank, pilot,
Uffz Georg Kelch, observer +1.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mg4e on Mt Leitha: 15 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
1Z+CL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
6245
YOM:
1939
Location:
Mt Leitha
Lower Austria
Country:
Austria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
En route to Arad, Romania, with a group of 15 others JU.52 registered to the 'Willerding Gruppe', the crew encountered very bad weather conditions in the area of Vienna. In limited visibility due to fog and snow falls, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Leitha (484 metres high) located about 35 km southeast of Vienna. The wreckage was found near Mannersdorf. All 15 occupants were killed. On the group of 16 airplanes, five crashed in the same area and 11 others landed in Arad around 1500LT.
Crew:
Fw Karl Merkle, pilot,
Uffz Hermann Hellmich, observer,
Uffz Willi Steinbach, radio operator,
Fw Kurt Schnabel, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m on Mt Leitha: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
G6+KH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
6451
YOM:
1939
Location:
Mt Leitha
Lower Austria
Country:
Austria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
En route to Arad, Romania, with a group of 15 others JU.52 registered to the 'Willerding Gruppe', the crew encountered very bad weather conditions in the area of Vienna. In limited visibility due to fog and snow falls, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Leitha (484 metres high) located about 35 km southeast of Vienna. A crew member survived while nine other occupants were killed. On the group of 16 airplanes, five crashed in the same area and 11 others landed in Arad around 1500LT.
Crew:
Ofw Max Koenen, pilot, †
Gefr Walter Giesch, observer,
Ogfr Herbert Osterkamp, radio operator, †
Uffz Helmut Kling, Helmut, +mechanic, †
Uffz Wilhelm Bassen, mechanic. †
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina in the Great Machipongo Inlet: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
0134
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Norfolk - Quonset Point
MSN:
33
YOM:
1937
Location:
Great Machipongo Inlet
Virginia
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The floatplane departed Norfolk-Chambers Field NAS on a flight to Quonset Point NAS, Rhode Island, carrying a crew of 10. About 20 minutes into the flight, it crashed in unknown circumstances in the Great Machipongo Inlet located about 70 km northeast of Chambers Field NAS. All 10 crew members were killed.

Crash of a Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth at RAF Wroughton

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1941
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth
Operator:
Registration:
X2866
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
White Waltham - Wroughton
MSN:
4054
YOM:
1933
Location:
Wroughton AFB
Wiltshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at RAF Wroughton, the single engine aircraft went out of control and came to rest upside down. Both crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim at RAF Ismailia

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8445
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Ismailia - Ismailia
Location:
Ismailia
Ismailia
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Ismailia Airport, the bomber collided with high tension wires and crashed. All three crew members were injured.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF off Singapore: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1941 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L6667
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Singapore
Singapore
Country:
Singapore
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The bomber went out of control and dove into the sea some 6 km east of Changi, Singapore. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O John Mansel-Lewis, pilot,
Sgt Denis Beaman,
S/L Charles Desmond Hackett.

Crash of a Martin B-10M at Barksdale AFB

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)
Operator:
Registration:
34-63
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
594
YOM:
1934
Location:
Barksdale AFB
Louisiana
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed for unknown reasons upon landing at Barksdale AFB. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I in Ivinghoe Beacon

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 130 Bombay
Operator:
Registration:
L5817
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Finningley – Northolt
MSN:
SH.10
YOM:
1939
Location:
Ivinghoe Beacon
Buckinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a transfer flight from RAF Finningley (Doncaster) to RAF Northolt on behalf of the 271th Squadron. An unexpected situation en route forced the crew to attempt an emergency landing in a field in Ivinghoe Beacon. The airplane lost its undercarriage and was damaged beyond repair. The crew was uninjured.

Crash of a Dornier DO.18G in the Frohavet: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.18
Operator:
Registration:
K6+FL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
858
YOM:
1939
Location:
Frohavet
Sør-Trøndelag
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The rear engine failed in flight and the floatplane crashed in the Frohavet. A crew was killed and three others were rescued.
Crew:
Ofw Christian Klaff, pilot,
Gefr Max Riesner, radio operator +2. †
Probable cause:
Failure of the rear engine in flight.
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