Date & Time:
Apr 26, 1955 at 0015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Varsity
Operator:
Registration:
WF426
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
MSN:
569
YOM:
1952
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
4
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Parked at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex, the aircraft was stolen by Manik Agnani, a 22 years old mechanic from the RAF who did not held any pilot licence. Hew flew over the London area for more than three hours and then changed his route and flew to the south, over The Channel and then to France. Shortly past midnight, he lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in flames onto a house located in Vicq, about 9 km northeast of Valenciennes. The pilot was killed and four people in the house as well, two old people and two young girls aged 9 and 10.
