Test | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was performing a test flight when on final approach, one of the engine caught fire. During the last segment, the aircraft stalled and hit the runway surface, skidded for several yards and came to rest. While all four crew members (pilots and engineers) were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The accident occurred in November 1942 (exact date unknown).

Probable cause:

Engine fire on approach.

Crash of a Junkers G.31go in Laverton

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers G.31

Operator:

Registration:

A44-1

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Laverton - Laverton

MSN:

3010

YOM:

1928

Location:

Laverton AFB (Melbourne)

Victoria

Country:

Australia

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The three-engine aircraft was recently transferred to Laverton Airport for repairs, following technical problems on the central engine. The pilot P/O Peter Lavarack decided to perform a test flight and started the take off run with only left and right engine running. Unfortunately, the aircraft veered off runway and collided with the visiting Minister of Air's car. While the pilot was unhurt, both car and aircraft were damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Bairnsdale: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 27, 1942 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

A16-38

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bairnsdale - Bairnsdale

MSN:

414-1889

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Aircraft flight hours:

915

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a test flight at Bairnsdale Aerodrome following the 80 flying hours service. When pulling out of high speed shallow dive at 80 feet and some 200 yards down from the camera (the flight was filmed), the starboard wing failed at wing station # 144, causing part of the outer wing (3 feet from engine) and spar to separate from the aircraft. The aircraft then rolled inverted, causing a further failure of the tail plane, with the aircraft then crashing into the ground and exploding.
Crew (1st OTU):
S/L P. C. Tampion,
Cpl H. P. Smith,
LAC A. P. Thomas,
LAC N. L. Cheshire.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/
Photos: Gordon Birkett

Probable cause:

The starboard wing panel was sent to the CSIR for metallurgy inspection. The finding was that the mainplanes had been repaired per then accepted practices, but had failed in flight where numerous patched repairs were made during its overhaul at 5AD. The report stated that many Hudsons withdrawn from operational service and used in 1 OTU had been flown to the limits with resultant heavy loadings on their wings on operational service. All similar houred Hudsons were inspected some found to have similar problems, which would result in their replacement by GAF Beauforts in the near future in operational squadrons.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Gibraltar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGCI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Gibraltar - Gibraltar

MSN:

AW.2716

YOM:

1942

Location:

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Shortly after take off from Gibraltar-North Front Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed. They were involved in a test flight following a maintenance operation.
Crew:
Sgt Samuel D. J. Cunrock,
P/O Philip R. Dean,
Cpt Charles G. K. Browne,
Ronald S. Mallett.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator in Carnlough: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

LV340

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ballykelly - Ballykelly

MSN:

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight over Northern Ireland. En route, while cruising in low altitude, the captain encountered poor visibility while flying west of Carnlough. The bomber hit the slope of Mt Limnalary and disintegrated on impact. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew (120th Squadron):
F/O M. F. Dear,
Sgt A. B. Meyer,
P/O A. B. Gomperts,
Sgt C. Humphrey,
Sgt R. Ainslie,
Sgt T. W. Taylor,
Sgt I. V. McQuay,
G/C H. K. Goode.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress off Cairns: 11 killed

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-2434

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Cairns - Cairns

MSN:

2245

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a test flight to control a new flare dropping mechanism. En route, a failure occurred on the mechanism, causing a flare to explode inside the cabin. Out of control, the aircraft crashed into the sea a mile off Cairns. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew (19th BG):
Maj Dean C. Hoevet, pilot,
Sgt Coy Adams,
T/Sgt Stephen A. Androkovich,
2nd Lt William T. Chesser,
1st Lt Paul M. Lindsay,
T/Sgt Hermon T. Randall,
2nd Lt Arthur F. Sorrell,
2nd Lt Maxwell D. Stone,
1st Lt George W. Hammersmith,
S/Sgt Bernard Merker,
T/Sgt Ralph Tarod.

Probable cause:

Failure of the flare dropping mechanism.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC Near Loch Lee: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7845

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Schedule:

Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a test flight from the RAF Lossiemouth. En route, the aircraft lost a cowling that hit propeller blades. One of the engine failed and the pilot reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the aircraft hit the slope of a hill and crashed 3 miles southwest of Loch Lee. Three crew members were killed while the rear gunner was injured.
Crew (20th OTU):
F/Sgt Arthur George Wilson Keene, pilot,
Sgt Alfred Kirby, observer,
Sgt Joseph Weatherson, observer,
Sgt Oscar Knud Lerche Jensen, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Failure of a cowling.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Ashwell: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1445

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

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The crew was completing a test flight when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Ashwell. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Edwin Casey, pilot,
AC1 Robert Logan Wilson.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Welsh Bicknor: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

V9977

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Defford - Defford

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was involved in a test flight on behalf of the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) of the Royal Air Force and left RAF Defford in the day with a crew of five and six engineers on board. En route, the engine number four caught fire. The captain attempted an emergency landing when at an altitude of 500 feet, a portion of the right wing broke away. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in a field at a speed of 150 mp/h and was destroyed. All 11 occupants were killed, among them the famous British engineer Alan Blumlein. His death was officially announced three years later as the mission was highly secret: test and development of the H2S airborne radar system.
Crew:
P/O D. J. D.Berrington, pilot,
F/O A. M. Phillips, pilot,
F/Sgt G. Millar, observer,
LAC B. D. C. Dear, flight engineer,
AC2 B. C. F. Bicknell, wireless operator and air gunner.
Passengers:
S/L R. J. Sansom, attached to TRE,
P/O C. E. Vincent, attached to TRE,
Mr. G. S. Hensby, engineer by TRE,
Mr. A. D. Blumlein, engineer by EMI,
Mr. C. O. Browne, engineer by EMI,
Mr. F. Blythen, engineer by EMI.

Probable cause:

After the RAF investigative board completed its report on the Halifax crash on 1 July 1942, it was distributed to a restricted list of approved recipients, but not publicly divulged. In the interests of wartime secrecy, the announcement of Blumlein's death was not made for another three years. The investigative board, headed by AIB Chief Inspector Vernon Brown (who later also investigated the postwar Star Tiger and Star Ariel disappearances) found that the Halifax bomber crash was caused by engine fire, attributed to the unscrewing of a tappet nut on the starboard outer engine, which had been improperly tightened by a RAF engine fitter while inspecting the engine some three hours prior to the crash. The loosened nut caused excessive valve clearance and a fracture of the valve stem which resulted pumping ignited fuel outboard of the rocker cover and along the outside of the engine, causing a fire in the engine nacelle. Constantly fueled by the broken intake, the fire burned rapidly along the wing and fuselage, eventually causing a large section of the wing to separate from the fuselage at approximately 350 feet of altitude. With the loss of all control over level flight, the rest of the plane rolled inverted and struck the ground at approximately 150 mph.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in RAF Waddington

Date & Time: May 20, 1942 at 1555 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

L7581

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a test flight. During the take off roll, the aircraft deviated to the left. The pilot tried to counteract but aircraft left runway to the left, crossed the tarmac and collided with two parked aircraft. A huge explosion occurred and all three aircraft were destroyed by fire. All three crew members were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

According to the RAF, a leading edge slat broke on left wing during the take off roll, affecting control capability of the aircraft that veered off runway.

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