Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after take off from RAF Dunholme Lodge, while climbing, an engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. The crew fate remains unknown.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress IIA off Benbecula: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

FL454

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

2717

YOM:

1941

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Shortly after take off from RAF Benbecula, the bomber stalled and crashed into the sea. Five crew members were killed while two others were rescued.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in RAF Scampton

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7386

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Scampton - Scampton

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The crew was performing a training flight on behalf of the 57th Squadron. Following an uneventful mission, the pilot was returning to his base at RAF Scampton when on final approach, an engine caught fire. The aircraft went unstable, stalled and crashed in an open field located few hundred yards short of runway. On impact, the undercarriage were sheared off and the aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. All four crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Vancouver

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

L7911

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Patricia Bay - Patricia Bay

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En route, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reason. In low visibility due to fog, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed near the Vancouver University. While the aircraft was written off, all five crew members were rescued.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off the Isle of Man

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

L7960

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Irish Sea, off the Isle of Man. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson on Mt Green Gable: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

DJ410

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

West Freugh - West Freugh

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The crew was engaged in a night training exercise from RAF West Freugh. En route, while cruising in poor visibility due to the night and cloud, the pilot did not realize he was off course when the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Green Gable located southeast of Buttermere. The pilot was killed instantly while all four other occupants were wounded and walked away to find help. The aircraft was destroyed. Crew from the 4th AOS, pilot was W/O Frederick Orchard Cadham.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Abu Qir: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942 at 0620 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

T9050

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Abu Qir - Abu Qir

Location:

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The seaplane left Abu Qir seaplane base at 0545LT on a maritime patrol flight. After 35 minutes into the flight, the engine number one failed. The captain decided to stall the aircraft that broke its back while hitting the water surface. Three crew members were killed while all nine others were rescued. The aircraft was lost.
Crew (230th Squadron):
F/O R. J. Murphy, pilot,
P/O R. C. Scott, pilot,
F/O T. W. Sanderson, pilot,
P/O A. H. Matthews, navigator,
F/Sgt J. Harkins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt K. J. Carlsson, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt J. Adam, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt J. Groleau, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt G. Lindsay, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt D. Hall, flight engineer,
LAC D. McLean, fitter,
LAC N. Kelly, rigger.
Source by Alan Storr:
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RC09125_007--1-.pdf

Probable cause:

The aircraft was forced to return from patrol owing to failure of the port outer engine. There was no indication from any member of the crew including the fitter that any other engine appeared to be giving trouble. When the Captain thought the port engine was failing he should have immediately checked his engine instrument readings. Although he approach appears to have been normal, the Captain did in fact make an error as he did not allow for the facts that there was a flat calm or that he was making an approach off a flare path. Finally the pilot made the fatal mistake of attempting to look at the water. Such an act especially on a glassy sea is nearly always disastrous. The accident appears to have been brought about by the fact that the pilot attempted to land when a landing was unnecessary, and he made an error in his landing in that he appears to have used insufficient engine to flatten his approach. He also attempted to carry out a landing on a glassy sea at night by looking at the water. The Group Commander in his remarks stated ; “ I consider this accident was primarily due to the fact that there had been a fatal accident in the Squadron a few days previously due to an engine catching fire in the air and the resulting smoke filled the cockpit, making it impossible for the pilot to make a safe landing. In this case, the pilot after flying for 35 minutes on thee engines, states that he suddenly noticed a bright glow and small burst of flame on another engine and decided to land immediately, in so doing he stalled the aircraft which broke its back on hitting the water. I consider the pilot, FO Murphy, made a wrong decision in deciding to land and was guilty of an error of judgement in making the actual landing. AVM Slatter 201 Group” .

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-120 in Lahore

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

AX769

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

1310

YOM:

1934

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On final approach to Lahore Airport, the aircraft hit the ground and came to rest on a bank short of runway. No casualties.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Cadiz: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

FP119

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

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Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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While cruising over the Gulf of Cadiz, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulences. The seaplane went out of control and crashed into the sea off Cadiz, about 100 km northwest of Gibraltar, its intended destination. All seven crew members and the sole passenger were killed.

Crash of a Vickers 290 Wellington I in RAF Lossiemouth

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 290 Wellington I

Operator:

Registration:

L4296

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth

Location:

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Circumstances:

For unknown reasons, the aircraft landed hard. On touchdown, the landing gears were sheared off, the aircraft skidded on runway and came to rest. While all crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew (20th OTU).