Africa

Just after liftoff from runway 09, while in initial climb, the crew raised the gear when smoke spread into the cockpit. The captain decided to land immediately. The aircraft belly landed and skidded for dozen yards before it overran and came to rest on a railway. Twenty-five occupants evacuated safely while the flight engineer was killed by a propeller blade coming from the left engine that penetrated the cockpit.

On 19th February 1955, during what the then colonial government referred to as the "Emergency" enacted to combat the Mau Mau uprising, an RAF Lincoln bomber belonging to No. 49 Squadron based at Eastleigh aerodrome, crashed near the town of Githunguri some fifteen kilometers (eight miles) north-north-west of Kiambu. The bomber, serial number SX984, carrying six aircrew, was returning from a bombing and strafing mission over the Kipipiri Forest when the pilot, Flying Officer Alan Hunt, decided to carry out unauthorized low passes over the Police Officers' Mess where he knew a number of his RAF colleagues were spending the afternoon. The Mess was and is situated near the top of a hill overlooking the town with the police station itself lying half way down towards the main Uplands - Ruiru road. On the third pass, Hunt misjudged the height needed to clear the top of the hill with the result that parts of the starboard wing, tail plane and lower rudder were torn off after hitting three rondavel huts and a mess chimney, whereupon the aircraft went out of control, climbed steeply for about one hundred meters, then stalled before going into a near vertical dive and crashing half a kilometer south of the police station. Hunt and four other crew members died instantly in the resulting inferno, but the tail-gunner, Sergeant Stanley Bartlett was thrown clear and taken to Kiambu hospital and then to the Military hospital in Nairobi where he died five hours later as a result of burns and other serious injuries. Four civilians on the ground, one of them a child, also died. The six crew were buried with full military honors in City Park Cemetery.
Crew (49th Squadron):
F/O Hunt, pilot,
Sgt North, flight engineer,
Sgt Hollands, signaler,
Sgt Bartlett, air gunner,
F/O King, navigator,
F/O Parry, navigator.
Source:
Richard Bartlett-May, son of Sgt Stanley Bartlett.

While cruising at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a dense wooded and uninhabited area located about 84 km northwest of Calabar. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed.

The crew left Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed AFB for a local training sortie. While cruising at an altitude of 300 feet, the seaplane nosed down, plunged into the lake of Bizerte and sank by a depth of seven meters. A crew member was rescued while seven others were killed. The aircraft was recovered but was destroyed.
Crew (53S Squadron):
2nd Master Michel Chosserie,
2nd Master Pierre Barbanchon, mechanic, †
Lt Guy Sauvage, †
Off Bernard Dorion, †
1st Master Joseph Le Berre, mechanic, †
Master Henri Menagerm, radio operator, †
2nd Master Robert Mignot, †
Second Master L’Aot, radio operator. †

Few minutes after its takeoff from Boufarik Airbase, while climbing, the three engine aircraft crashed in Mouzaia, about 18 km southwest of its departure point. All eight crew members were killed.

Following a 1,000 hours maintenance check, the twin engine airplane christened 'Tutankhamun' was involved in a 3 minutes test flight with two pilots and two technicians on board. On final approach to runway 32, the crew voluntarily shot down the left engine and feathered its propeller to conduct an asymmetric landing. It is believed the aircraft was unstable as it landed too long, in the last third of the runway. In such conditions, the captain decided to make a go around and increased power on the right engine when the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames. Three crew members were killed while a fourth occupant was seriously injured.

On final approach to Luanda Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in Estrada de Catete, about 2 km north of the airfield. Both pilots were killed while both passengers were injured.

The aircraft suffered a fuel exhaustion in flight, so all crew members bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed about 10 km north of Sidi Slimane. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed.

An engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. While both occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While approaching Nairobi-Eastleigh Airport by night, the airplane struck a hill located about 19 km from the airfield and was destroyed upon impact. All seven occupants were killed. The crew was belonging to the Maltese Corps.