Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Montdidier-Assainvillers Aerodrome (aka Le Fretoy) on a liaison flight to Pontarlier with five crew members on board. While approaching Pontarlier, the crew encountered poor visibility due to mist. Too low, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in the forest of La Joux near Supt, some 25 km west of Pontarlier Airport. A crew member was injured while four others were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Roger Lebrun, pilot, †
Sgt Armand Pasquier, pilot, †
Sgt Gérard Moisselin, gunner, †
Sgt/C Roger Faucard, gunner, †
Sgt Marcel Charbonnier, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF at RAF Leuchars: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1939 at 1035 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8691

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Turnhouse – Leuchars

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On approach to RAF Leuchars, while descending in clouds, the airplane went out of control and crashed. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Richard Michael Williams, pilot,
P/O Horace George Yelland, pilot,
AC2 Leonard Dale, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC2 John Cooper Hunt, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-1 off Amble: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1939 at 0935 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+??

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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While approaching the British coast, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of an RAF Hurricane and crashed into the sea some 8 km off Amble. All four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the pilot of an RAF Hurricane.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Rauschen: 4 killked

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.34

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

2887

YOM:

1935

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Following an in-flight collision with a Junkers JU.52, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Rauschen (now Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad) in Königsberg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
FF Uffz Joachim Gabriel,
Lt Heinrich Rackwitz,
Bw Flg Herbert Skwara,
Bf Gefr Wenzel.

Ground collision of a Vickers 290 Wellington I at RAF Silloth

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 290 Wellington I

Operator:

Registration:

L4389

Flight Phase:

Parking

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

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Parked at RAF Silloth, the aircraft was struck by another RAF Vickers Wellington registered L4388 that went out of control after landing. Both aircraft were damages beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A in Kiel: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1939 at 0940 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kiel - Westerland

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The aircraft departed Kiel-Holtenau Airport on a flight to Westerland-Sylt following an engine change. Three minutes after takeoff, the airplane suffered an engine failure, entered a dive and crashed in Wik, some three km south of the airfield. All three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero in Lugnano in Teverina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

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Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all five crew members.

Crash of a Grumman OA-9 Goose in the Laguna de Bay

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Grumman G-21A Goose

Operator:

Registration:

38-561

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

1027

YOM:

1939

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Crashed for unknown reasons while landing in the Laguna de Bay, south of Manila. The crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Torhout: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

5J+FA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Quakenbrück - Quakenbrück

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The airplane was engaged in a combat sortie from the Quakenbrück airfield in Lower Saxony. While flying over Belgium, the crew was attacked by few Curtiss Hawk 75 from the French First Squadron of the Fighter Group 1/4 based in Norrent-Fontes. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed near Torhout. While the captain was injured, all three other crewmen were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by French fighters.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Wadi Sanam: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L6647

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Aden - Aden

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For unknown reasons, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Wadi Sanam. They all survived but were later killed by tribesmen.
Crew:
P/O Mervyn Osmond Howell, pilot,
P/O Richard John Melville-Townsend, observer,
AC1 Alan Usherwood Smith, wireless operator and air gunner.