Crash of a Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings C1 in Benina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1950
Operator:
Registration:
TG574
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
El Adem – Tripoli
MSN:
65
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising at the assigned altitude of 8,500 feet, a propeller blade on the engine number two separated and penetrated the fuselage, killing the copilot who was sitting in the crew room. The captain informed ground and decided to divert to Benina Airport. Few minutes later, the engine number two detached from its mount and hit the elevator, causing the aircraft to be difficult to control. On final approach to Benina, the aircraft was rolling left to right, stalled and crashed in flames upside down few dozen yards from the runway threshold. Five crew members, among them the captain, were killed, while 29 other occupants were evacuated, some of them slightly injured.
Probable cause:
Loss of a propeller blade and separation of the engine number two in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X near Xàbia: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1950 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NA958
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Shawbury – Istres – Gibraltar – Khartoum – Nicosia – Luqa – Shawbury
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
On the leg from Istres to Gibraltar, the crew encountered poor weather conditions while cruising along the Spanish coast. The aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path and was at a too low altitude when it hit the slope of the Mt Montgó located northwest of Xàbia. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all seven crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to thunderstorm activity and the aircraft was off course.
Crew:
F/Lt Leonard West, pilot,
F/Lt Peter Pullar, navigator,
F/Lt Robert James Baker,
F/Sgt Ernest Hansom,
AC1 Neville Jones,
AC1 Roy Owen Ouseley,
AC1 Peter Field Thorne.

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta in Al Kibrit AFB

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VW805
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Al Kibrit - Al Kibrit
MSN:
366
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at Al Kibrit AFB, about 30 km north of Suez. On final approach completed with one engine operative only, the crew decided to make a go around when the aircraft stalled and crashed with its undercarriage retracted few hundred yards from the runway threshold. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members were injured.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in RAF Tangmere

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PG969
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tangmere - Tangmere
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing a GCA approach to RAF Tangmere in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the ground and crashed short of runway threshold. Both pilots were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.21 near Glen Loch

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VS501
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a training flight, the crew encountered an engine failure. The pilot in command attempted an emergency landing and the aircraft crash landed 12 miles north of Glen Loch. While both occupants were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley in the Fathan Glinne Mountain Range: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1950
Operator:
Registration:
P5090
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a night training flight and was returning to his base in Belfast-Aldergrove when the pilot in command lost his orientation and continued to the northeast to Scotland. While running out of fuel in low visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Fathan Glinne Mountain Range, near the village of Balquhidder, by the Loch Voil. A crew member was seriously injured while five others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John James Westoby, pilot, †
Sgt William John Barnfather, pilot, †
Sgt John Whitsed, observer, †
Sgt James Gerrard Curtis, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Jack Perfect, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt W. S. Hamilton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in Singapore

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
MW102
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Northolt – Singapore
MSN:
MW102
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash landed in Changi Airport for unknown reason. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Swinderby: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP388
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to RAF Swinderby after participating to the night exercice 'Emperor'. The approach was completed jointly with a second RAF Vickers 619 Wellington X registered LP846 and carrying a crew of five as well. On final approach, both aircraft were too close from each other when a red flare was deployed from the control box to declare that the runway was closed (radio silence due to live exercise). The first aircraft gained height hit the second Wellington. Both aircraft stalled and crashed onto the runway, bursting into flames. Two crew members on LP846 were seriously injured while all eight other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Swinderby: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LP846
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to RAF Swinderby after participating to the night exercice 'Emperor'. The approach was completed jointly with a second RAF Vickers 619 Wellington X registered RP388 and carrying a crew of five as well. On final approach, both aircraft were too close from each other when a red flare was deployed from the control box to declare that the runway was closed (radio silence due to live exercise). The first aircraft gained height hit the second Wellington. Both aircraft stalled and crashed onto the runway, bursting into flames. Two crew members on LP846 were seriously injured while all eight other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X off Margate: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP320
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to a night exercice called 'Emperor'. While cruising over the Thames estuary, the Wellington collided with a Belgian Air Force De Havilland Mosquito registered MM757 and carrying a crew of two. Both aircraft dove into the sea and crashed about 5 miles off Reculver. All seven crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew from Wellington:
Sgt Allan Warboys,
F/Sgt Arthur Gordon Goodfellow,
Cdt Alan Frederick George Marshall,
Cdt Alister MacIntosh Dougall,
Sgt George Stanley Stansby.
Crew from Mosquito:
Cpt Christian Henrard,
Sgt Joseph Tytgat.