Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While overflying Belgium, the twin engine aircraft was mistakenly shot down by the pilot of a Northrop P-61 Black Widow and crashed in a field located in Manhay. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (161st Squadron):
F/Lt R. Ferris,
W/O R. Hutton,
F/Lt A. Penhale,
F/O J. Traill.

Probable cause:

Shot down.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota III in Bari

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KG727

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

13728

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

A premature retraction of the landing gear during the takeoff roll caused the aircraft to crash on the runway. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Premature retraction of the landing gear during takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV into the Coral Sea

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KN343

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Madang – Port Moresby – Townsville

MSN:

32659/15911

YOM:

1945

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from Madang to Townsville with an intermediate stop in Port Moresby-Jackson Airport. While cruising over the Coral Sea, a dual engine failure forced the crew to ditch the aircraft some 200 km south of Port Moresby. All 28 occupants took refuge into dinghies and were later rescued. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (243rd Squadron):
P/O Frank Leslie Carnell, pilot,
W/O Nutt,
F/Sgt Wrench,
F/Sgt Moffatt.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld20.htm

Probable cause:

Dual engine failure.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III on Mt Crownarad: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1945 at 0233 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

ML743

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Castle Archdale - Castle Archdale

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Captain / Total flying hours:

705

Captain / Total hours on type:

705.00

Circumstances:

The crew left RAF Castle Archdale at 0203LT to localize German submarine cruising off the Irish coast. Weather conditions were marginal and the visibility was limited due to a cloud layer at 1,000 feet. The night was very dark. The aircraft passed over the village of Kellybegs and continued to the north when it hit the slope of Mt Cró na Roda (Mt Crownarad) at a height of 471 meters. All 12 occupants were killed.
Crew (201st Squadron):
F/Sgt R. D. A. Becker,
F/Sgt S. B. Frith,
F/O V. Howkins,
Sgt J. R. Mansfield,
F/Sgt J. G. Robinson,
F/S G. R. Kennedy,
Sgt F. N. G. Ford,
F/Sgt D. J. T. Twist,
F/Sgt C. J. Ryder,
F/O R. Delby,
Sgt R. F. Woodward.
Source: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/ml743.htm

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident must remain obscure. From the evidence it would appear that the aircraft was under the control of the pilot rather than the navigator at the time immediately preceding the crash. The use of the landing light seems to indicate that the pilot was trying to pin point himself (or make a forced landing) in the opinion of this court, the pilot and navigator did not know where they were - which presupposes that they S.E. was u/s or not being used. The fact that the aircraft was on a course of 240 degrees when it crashed may indicate that the pilot realized that he was too far north and was turning back towards the southwest.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30 Liberator VIII in Lajes: 19 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated LB-30 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

EW626

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lajes – Lisbon

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Lajes Airbase, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked right, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. All 19 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV on Mt Pinos: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KN345

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Biggs - Sacramento

MSN:

15913/32661

YOM:

1945

Location:

Lebec

California

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Biggs AFB, El Paso, to Sacramento, California. While cruising by night in stormy weather, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the Mt Pinos located some 14 miles west of Lebec. All five occupants were killed. The wreckage was found by walkers on 13MAY1945 only.
Crew:
Peter Antrobus, pilot
Floyd E. George, copilot
Frank S. Holmes, navigator
Edward Watkins, radio operator
Passenger:
Max K. Nelson.

Crash of a Supermarine Walrus I off Flamborough: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1945 at 1055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Supermarine Walrus

Operator:

Registration:

L2271

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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The crew was performing a maritime patrol flight off the East Yorkshire coast. While completing a turn at low height, the seaplane hit the water surface and crashed few hundred yards off Flamborough Head. All three crew members were killed.
Crew (278th Squadron):
F/Lt Colin Graham Robertson,
F/Lt Cecil Gloucester Walker,
W/O Leonard Albert Gordon Carpenter.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in the Sperrins Mountains: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1945 at 0030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

LV153

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

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Schedule:

Wigtown - Wigtown

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The crew left RAF Wigtown at 2130LT on a night training sortie. Three hours later, while overflying Northern Ireland, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Legnacoppage Glen located in the Sperrins Mountains. Four crew members were killed while a fifth one was seriously injured.
Crew (1st AFU):
P/O Ian L. McFadyen, pilot, †
F/Sgt Robert H. Gilllian, navigator, †
Sgt Michael D. Shaxson, air bomber,
W/O Jack Pennack, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Richard A. Button, wireless operator and air gunner. †

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I near Edale

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

NM683

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Warboys - Warboys

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training sortie from RAF Warboys. While cruising at low altitude in poor visibility, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Rushup Edge located southwest of Edale. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were injured.
Crew (PFNT):
F/Lt Brian Gipson, pilot,
F/Lt Douglas Ivor Jones, copilot,
F/Lt William John Barclay, navigator,
F/O Victor Percival Skone-Rees, bomber.