Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Glenariff: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1940 at 1035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N4943
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Prestwick - Prestwick
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
400
Captain / Total hours on type:
140.00
Circumstances:
The crew departed Prestwick at 0830LT on an observation exercice. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thick mist and heavy snow falls. In low visibility, the pilot deviated from the prescribed route. At an altitude of 1,000 feet, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located south of Glenariff. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Derek Paul Watson-Parker, pilot,
LAC Dennis William Whittaker, navigator,
LAC Herbert Arthur, Williams, navigator.
Passenger:
H. T. Jackson.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H2 off Coquet Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1940 at 1245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+KM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Westerland - Westerland
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising off the British coast, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by an RAF Hawker Hurricane and crashed into the sea some 8 km east of Coquet Island. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (4th Squadron):
Fw Helmut Höfer, pilot,
Uffz Richard Feist, observer,
Ogfr Albert Hain, wireless operator,
Gfr Werner Korsinsky, engineer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF Hurricane.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Kiel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1940 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
4026
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after liftoff, at a height of 20 metres, the airplane stalled and crashed. All four occupants were killed. It was reported that the takeoff procedure was initiated with a cold engine.
Crew:
FF Ofw Murswiek,
Uffz Emil Podstufka,
Uffz Niklar,
Bf Ogefr Karl Rudolf Holz.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at Siikakangas AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BL-108
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tampere – Siikakangas
MSN:
8141
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On approach to Siikakangas AFB, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane went out of control and crashed few km from the airbase. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Hugo Harald Rahunen,
Pvt Armas Valtonen,
Pvt Aimo Toimi Johannes Matikainen.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo near Pidgeon Pass: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
37-520
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Monterrey – March
MSN:
2520
YOM:
1937
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While approaching March AFB, flying over the Tehachapi Mountain Range, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with high winds, sleet, snow, rain and icing. The pilot informed ground about his situation and requested rescue teams to stand by. Shortly later, the captain instructed the occupant to bail out when the airplane crashed into a hillside located near Pidgeon Pass, some 12 km north of March AFB and three km northeast of Riverside. Two passengers were found alive while four other occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Lt Raymond M. Sumi, pilot, †
Lt Benjamin G. Holloway, copilot, †
Sgt Gerald D. Wilcox, †
Pvt Leonard E. Riley, †
Sgt Cecil Purvis,
Pvt Frank Carroll.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H in Osnabrück

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members evacuated safely.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Rhyl: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 19, 1940 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N5050
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hooton Park - Hooton Park
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Hooton Park at 0800LT on a convoy mission. About an hour into the flight, weather conditions worsened with heavy snow falls. The airplane crashed on the foreshore some 6 km east of Rhyl. A crew member was seriously injured while three others were killed.
Crew:
F/O John Randall Garrett, pilot,
Sgt Harold Christopher Moorby, observer, †
LAC Thomas Christopher McClure, air gunner, †
AC1 Robert Beattie, wireless operator. †

Crash of a Supermarine Walrus in Glasgow: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P5648
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from HMS Raven cruising off Scotland to HMS Norfolk cruising south of England. In unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed in Bishopbriggs, in the north suburb of Glasgow. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Edward Frank Pope, pilot,
LAC John Baxter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111E in Ribnitz: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WL-AFPB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ribnitz - Ribnitz
MSN:
1280
YOM:
1936
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Ribnitz-Pütnitz Airport. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
FF Uffz Klawitter,
B Uffz Erich Kermbach,
Bf Flg Gieskammer,
Bw Flg Schirmer.

Crash of a Potez 25.A2 in Rochefort

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
2022
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Châteauroux – Rochefort
MSN:
2022
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Twelve Potez 25 operated by the Centre d’Instruction de Bombardement (CIB) from Chateauroux took off from their base to reach the Oleron firing range. They flew in two formations of six. At Rochefort Airport, several aircraft from the 2nd formation landed at the same time. Upon landing, the Potez 25 registered 2175 and flown by Sgt Chanal banked very slightly right, but that was enough to create a slipstream that hit the Potez 25 registered 2022, that landed on its left wheel. It rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest upside down. Both crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
Sgt Maurice Pelastaing, pilot,
Sgt Roger Borrel, mechanic.