Royal Air Force - RAF

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Frankfurt

MSN:

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

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Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while climbing steeply to a height of some 150 feet, the aircraft stalled from the tail and went to a near vertical attitude. The left wing then dropped and the aircraft crashed into the ground and was destroyed. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (47th Squadron based in RAF Dishforth):
F/O Ian R. Donaldson,
Sgt Joseph Toal,
Nav William G. Page,
Sig Alexander Dunsire,
Eng Roy R. Gibbs.

Probable cause:

The cause was found to be the elevator trim tab which had been turned to the fully back position.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 near RAF Waddington: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Avro 694 Lincoln

Operator:

Registration:

RF471

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Location:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Waddington, while in initial climb, the four engine aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 4 miles northwest of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all seven crew members of the 61st Squadron were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the pilot in command suffered a loss of situational awareness or suffered an optical illusion was not ruled out.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Hullavington

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 619 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

PG265

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.70 Halifax VIII

Location:

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Circumstances:

On landing, the aircraft went out of control, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.70 Halifax Met.6 into the Atlantic Ocean: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1949 at 1143 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ST818

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Meteorological / Weather

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Belfast - Belfast

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 0850LT on a meteorological mission over the Atlantic Ocean. The crew maintained radio contact with the ground until 1143LT when it disappeared from radar screens. SAR operations were conducted on a large area west of the Outer Hebrides Islands but were eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On board were three passengers and four crew members from the 202nd Squadron.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.20 in Sawmills: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

VS502

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Thornhill - Thornhill

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Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9800

Captain / Total hours on type:

5000.00

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a training sortie from Thornhill Airfield. About two hours into the flight, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances near Sawmills. The crew did not send any distress call. The wreckage was found few hours later in an uninhabited area and all four crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in RAF Mildenhall

Date & Time: May 26, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

PA383

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

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Circumstances:

Belly landed and damaged beyond repair. No casualties.

Ground accident of a Douglas C-47B-40-DK Dakota C.4 in RAF North Luffenham

Date & Time: May 23, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KN551

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

16830/33578

YOM:

1945

Location:

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Circumstances:

While holding for takeoff, the Dakota registered KN551 was hit by another RAF Dakota registered KJ810. The accident occurred in unclear circumstances and there were no injuries. While KJ810 was repaired, KN551 was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in Gütersloh

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Avro 685 York

Operator:

Registration:

MW188

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: