Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

A group of seven Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford departed Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 1045LT on a formation flight to RAF Finningley. Upon departure, weather conditions were excellent. After crossing the Irish Sea and flying over Barrow-in-Furness, the crew encountered clouds and severe icing conditions. Unable to maintain the altitude, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane struck a wall before crashing onto moorland on an old rifle range on Wadsworth Moor, near Hebden Bridge. A crew member was seriously injured and three others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Victor Charles Otter, pilot,
Sgt Douglas George Church, navigator, †
LAC Percival George Clements, fitter, †
AC2 Claud Vincent Bodenham, wireless operator. †

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford at RAF Hemswell

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford

Operator:

Registration:

K4864

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Belfast – Finningley

Location:

Country:

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Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

A group of seven Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford departed Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 1045LT on a formation flight to RAF Finningley. Upon departure, weather conditions were excellent. After crossing the Irish Sea and flying over Barrow-in-Furness, the crew encountered clouds and severe icing conditions. The crew decided to divert to RAF Hemswell for an emergency landing but the airplane crashed on final approach in an open field located about 2 km short of runway. All four crew members evacuated with minor injuries.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford in Shaw

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford

Operator:

Registration:

K4874

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Belfast – Finningley

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

A group of seven Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford departed Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 1045LT on a formation flight to RAF Finningley. Upon departure, weather conditions were excellent. After crossing the Irish Sea and flying over Barrow-in-Furness, the crew encountered clouds and severe icing conditions. Unable to maintain the altitude, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that entered a dive and crashed in a pasture in Shaw, some 15 km northeast of Manchester. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were uninjured.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford in Disley

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford

Operator:

Registration:

K4868

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Belfast – Finningley

Location:

Country:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford in Disley

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford

Operator:

Registration:

K6898

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Belfast – Finningley

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

A group of seven Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford departed Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 1045LT on a formation flight to RAF Finningley. Upon departure, weather conditions were excellent. After crossing the Irish Sea and flying over Barrow-in-Furness, the crew encountered clouds and severe icing conditions. Unable to maintain the altitude, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a prairie. It collided with a hedge, a fence and telegraph pole before coming to rest on its nose. All four crew members evacuated with minor injuries.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Serranillos: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

22-78

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

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Circumstances:

In unknown circumstances, the three engine airplane crashed on a mountain located near Serranillos. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 in Roccagorga: 16 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1936 at 1245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.81

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Rome - Palermo

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

En route from Rome to Palermo, one of the engine failed. The crew apparently attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed onto several houses located in the center of the village of Roccagorga, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed. Some locals attempted to rescue the crew when houses collapsed. Six rescuers and six residents were killed as well.
Crew:
Lt Andrea Fumo,
Lt Corrado Ciani,
Mot Lorenzo Chiovati,
Av Nicola Esposito.
Rescuers:
Giuseppe Cotesta,
Cecilio Lombardi,
Domenico Mancini,
Domenica Menta,
Giuseppe Restaini,
Anselmo Rossi.
Residents:
Felicetta Babbo,
Angela Bruni,
Antonietta Ciotti,
Filomena Fusco,
Vittoria Palombi,
Teresa Rossi.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mge in Madrid

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

22-74

Flight Phase:

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Circumstances:

Crashed near Madrid after being shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Polikarpov I-15 fighter. Occupant fate unknown.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Potez 542 in Navalcarnero

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Potez 540

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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The airplane was shot down by enemy fire. The pilot made an emergency landing in a field located in Navalcarnero, 25 km west of the Getafe Airbase. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Potez 542 in Madrid-Getafe

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Potez 540

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by enemy fire. The pilot made an emergency landing in a vineyard near Getafe Airbase. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.