Royal Air Force - RAF

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a night cross country exercise from RAF Wheaton Aston. Enroute, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Huddlesford. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (21st PAFU):
W/O Matthew Hamilton Orr.

On final approach to Heliopolis Airbase, while on a local training sortie, the captain decided to make a go around. The twin engine aircraft failed to gain height, stalled and crashed short of runway threshold. The pilot was injured while four other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

On 26th July 1946 110 (City of York) ATC Squadron were holding their annual summer camp at the Central Gunnery School (CGS) at Leconfield. As part of their camp the Cadets were being allowed to be taken as passengers on training flights the CGS were undertaking. There is a suggestion that more than one Wellington was being used for this but if this was so then the take-off times were staggered and their flights did not interrupt or engage with each other. The Wellington concerned in this incident had suffered an engine malfunction prior to take-off and the two cadets already down to have a flight on this aircraft were allocated to a different aircraft to have their trip. The faulty aircraft was soon repaired and two further cadets would be allowed to go up in this original aircraft for what become the ill-fated flight. The ill-fated flight finally took off with a pilot and two cadets on board at around 1400LT, they flew northwards and towards the North Yorkshire Moors. The pilot of the Wellington carried out a Bomber Affiliation training exercise with other aircraft, the Wellington was being subjected to a number of dummy attacks by two Spitfires. It was during one of these attacks and twenty five minutes into the flight that tragedy struck at 1420LT; one of the Spitfires was making a head-on attack on the Wellington when the pilot of the Spitfire misjudged the distance between the two aircraft. The two aircraft collided head on more or less directly over the village of Appleton-le-Moors. The Wellington partly broke up in the air, with parts being scattered across the main street in Appleton le Moors and on houses in the village. Both aircraft, including the main section of this Wellington came down in flames on and near the village football field. There would be no survivors. At the inquest to their deaths, the Coroner, Mr R K Smith gave a verdict of "death by misadventure".
Crew:
W/O Henryk Szwedowski, pilot.
Passengers:
Cadet William Anthony Lain,
Cadet Robert Hall.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/46-50/bj884.html

After takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft went through a thunderstorm area with severe turbulence. The left wing broke off in the engine, causing the aircraft to crash into a field. All 22 occupants were killed.

At 1535LT on 24th July 1946 this aircraft took off from Leconfield airfield for its crew to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise with a Spitfire (Spitfire TD236, of "F" Flight piloted by S/Ldr Leonard A Wood). The aircraft flew in a northerly direction, met up with the Spitfire over Driffield and then, owing to low cloud, the exercises were carried out at 10,000 feet over the Scarborough area. On board the Wellington was a pilot, a gunnery instructor and three trainee air gunners. During the exercise the Wellington was practicing taking evasive action when attacked by the fighter, it was thought that the pilot of the Wellington was making such a turn downwards, believed to have been the last of the exercise, but immediately after the last attack the Wellington went into a near vertical dive from between 6,000 and 7,000 feet from which it did not recover. At 1645LT the aircraft crashed into the grounds of Wykeham Abbey and while not catching fire it disintegrated on impact creating a large crater. All five on board stood no chance, they were killed instantly and the body of one of the crew was never found. The list or airmen below shows their trades as CWGC give. The resulting crash investigation reported that the aircraft had been reported as being nose-heavy in the weeks leading up to the crash but it was checked but was passed as serviceable on the day of this crash. The investigation listed a number of previous incidents when the aircraft had been inspected. It had been used in the prototype bouncing bomb trials and had its bomb doors removed for this but was later converted back to a "normal" Wellington and on 1st December 1943 repairs were completed at Vickers factory, Weybridge. On 17th July 1946 it was test flown and rear doors found locked up. A day later on 18th July 1946 it was test flown and the elevator trim for level flight was found incorrectly set, the cables were adjusted for correct movement. On 23rd July 1946 it was flown by F/Lt Meikle, who reported the aircraft nose heavy and the port engine was running slow. Extra ballast was added and the port engine revs were adjusted. On 24th July 1946 it was flown by W/O Schwedoski, who reported aircraft was satisfactory (he would be killed soon after in a crash at Appleton le Moors just a few days after this incident at Wykeham) but later that day the fatal crash at Wykeham occurred.
Crew:
W/O Roland Harrison, pilot,
F/Lt John Christopher Haldon, air gunner,
W/O Frederick Charles Stiff, air gunner,
F/Sgt Peter Ingram, air gunner,
W/O John Forest Armstrong, wireless operator and engineer.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/ryedale/bj895.html

On touchdown, an undercarriage collapsed, causing the aircraft to slid on the runway. All five crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was engaged in a demonstration flight at RAF Leconfield and was performing an exercise consisting to prove the aircraft was able to fly with only one engine operative. While cruising at low height in the vicinity of the airbase, the crew shut down three engines and continued to fly on one engine only when the aircraft lost height, stalled and crashed in a field located near the airfield. While all six crew members were rescued, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Enroute, both engines failed, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed in a desert area located in Lul, northeast of Malakal. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

The aircraft was on its way to Char Chapli to evacuate the crew of a local radar station. On landing on a beach, the aircraft sank and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was abandoned.

Shortly after liftoff, while in initial climb, the pilot in command reduced the engine power. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were killed. They were involved in a local training sortie.