Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route from Perth to RAF Saint Athan, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of Mt Ben Inner located near Carsphairn. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Kenneth Norman Masters Eyres, pilot.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Hamburg

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1939 at 2145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.34

Operator:

Registration:

HI+LB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

4057

Location:

Hamburg

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed near Hamburg Airport after being mistakenly shot down by the German Flak. Crew fate unknown.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by friendly fire.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Cullen

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1939 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N4961

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Wick - Wick

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising along the coast, the crew was forced to ditch the airplane due to a fuel exhaustion. The aircraft landed off Cullen and was lost while both crew members were rescued.
Crew:
F/Lt H. G. Mossford, pilot,
P/O Brinsden, copilot.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Guernsey

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1939 at 1545 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K8781

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Saint Peter

Location:

Saint Peter-La Villiaze

Channel Islands

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following a flight from Thorney Island, the twin engine airplane landed at St Peter-La Villiaze Airport, Guernsey, in strong crosswinds. After touchdown, the airplane swerved, veered off runway and came to rest against a hedge. All four crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Arthur Bate, pilot,
P/O M. J. Hunter, copilot,
AC1 McIlvenny,
AC1 Leigh.

Crash of a Martin 166 WH-3 in Ambon: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)

Operator:

Registration:

M-570

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Ambon - Kupang

MSN:

806

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed for unknown reasons shortly after takeoff from Ambon Airport, bursting into flames. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Junkers W.34hau in Humpoleč: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1939 at 1426 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.34

Operator:

Registration:

WL-OCBQ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

3432

Location:

Humpoleč

Vysočina Region (Vysočina)

Country:

Czech Republic

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising in poor visibility due to fog, the single engine airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located 2 km south of Humpoleč. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Gefr Wilhelm Nagel, pilot,
Helmut Luthardt, pilot.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 near Humbie: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+JA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Westerland - Westerland

MSN:

449

YOM:

1935

Location:

Humbie

East Lothian (Haddingtonshire)

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane departed Westerland-Sylt Airport on a combat mission over Scotland. After passing through the last cloud layer, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter and crashed near Humbie, about 24 km southeast of Edinburgh. Two crew members were killed and two others were injured.
crew:
Uffz Gottlieb Kowalke, †
Gefr Bruno Reimann, †
Uffz Kurt Lehmkuhl,
Lt Rolf Niehoff.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley III in France

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

K9008

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Villeneuve-les-Vertus - Villeneuve-les-Vertus

MSN:

1461

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Villeneuve-les-Vertus at the end of the day bound for Frankfurt on the 'Nickel' mission (leaflet dropping). While overflying east part of France, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and an engine fired. The captain attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five crewmen were unhurt.
Crew (51st Squadron):
F/A J. H. P. Wynton,
Sgt D. C. Hide,
Sgt W. Foster,
Cpl E. Short,
AC1 A. J. Heller.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing following severe icing conditions and engine fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley III in Triaucourt-en-Argonne

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

K8988

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Villeneuve-les-Vertus - Villeneuve-les-Vertus

MSN:

1441

YOM:

1938

Location:

Triaucourt-en-Argonne

Meuse

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Villeneuve-les-Vertus at the end of the day. Few hours later, it crash landed in Triaucourt-en-Argonne, 17 km north of Revigny. All five crewmen of the 51st Squadron were slightly injured. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley III in France

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

K8984

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Villeneuve-les-Vertus - Villeneuve-les-Vertus

MSN:

1437

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Villeneuve-les-Vertus at 1805LT on 27 October, taking part to the operation 'Nickel' over Munich. On the return flight, while overflying the east part of France at night and in severe icing conditions, the captain instructed the crew to abandon the aircraft. Four crewmen bailed out while the air gunner did not hear the order and was still in his turret when the aircraft crashed in an open field. The air gunner was slightly injured while all four other crew were unhurt.
Crew (51st Squadron):
Sgt T. W. Bowles,
Sgt A. A. Emery,
Sgt E. J. Barber,
AC1 R. Jackson,
Sgt A. Griffin, air gunner, injured.

Probable cause:

Aircraft abandoned due to severe icing conditions.