Africa | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Mediterranean Sea when the aircraft was attacked by enemy fire. The captain decided to return to his base in Tunisia but was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing in Protville. While all occupants were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Bathurst: 9 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1943 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

JM710

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Bathurst - Bathurst

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a night training sortie out of Bathurst, Gambia. On approach, while completing a last turn to the left, the seaplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion into the sea. All nine crewmen were killed.
Crew (208th Squadron):
F/O J. G. Finney, pilot,
F/O S. B. Cuthbert, copilot,
F/Sgt R. G. Craig, flight engineer,
Sgt R. D. Britton, navigator,
Sgt G. Weston, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt B. S. Evans, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt E. C. Hobbins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt H. Revell, fitter and air gunner,
F/Sgt R. B. Billows, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident is obscure. The aircraft crashed whilst turning on its circuit prior to landing. A possible cause was that the Pilot with not much night flying experience returned to RAF Bathurst whilst the weather conditions were not ideal, and the aircraft stalled in its turn. It was thought that the pilot was about to make his run up the flare path to set the gyro, as is normal practice, and stalled in the turn.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Khartoum: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

42-55921

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

18-2336

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On rotation, the aircraft stalled, hit the runway surface and veered off before coming to rest. The captain Thomas L. Eyre was killed in the accident while all other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

The loss of control was caused by an engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express in Accra: 10 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1943 at 0114 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Operator:

Registration:

41-24140

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off, while in initial climb by night, the four-engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion 4 km north of the airfield. All ten occupants were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off L'Agulhas

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

Y-84

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

847

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing an anti-sub-marine patrol mission off the South African coast when a fuel exhaustion forced the captain to ditch the seaplane off L'Agulhas. All crew members survived while the aircraft was deliberately sunk by a machine gun.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Djerba: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

42-23635

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

9497

YOM:

1943

Location:

Djerba

Gabès Governorate (ولاية قابس‎)

Country:

Tunisia

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on landing at Djerba Airport. At least one crew member was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth in Maputo

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1943

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth

Operator:

Registration:

CR-AAO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Maputo - Maputo

MSN:

2152

YOM:

1931

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a solo training flight when the accident occurred in unknown circumstances. The pilot was unhurt and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I in Philippeville

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 130 Bombay

Operator:

Registration:

L5838

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Skikda

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining runway, overrun, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland in Sétif: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Sétif. All four crew members were killed and both passengers were injured, one seriously.
Crew:
Adj Robert, pilot, †
Sgt Morin, †
Sgt Talre, †
Lt Marcel Lebois. †
Passengers:
Mr. Bazaincourt,
Lt Col Pierre Tassin de Sainte Pereuse.