Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III in Norwich

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
AE516
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Norwich - Norwich
MSN:
414-3871
YOM:
1941
Location:
Norwich
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Horsham St Faith on a training flight. Two minutes after takeoff, the airplane suffered a double engine failure and crashed in the district of Lakenham, south of the city. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
P/O P. H. Lowther,
P/O J. M. MacDonald.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-2 in Nieuw-Vennep: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.217
Operator:
Registration:
U5+BP
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Soesterberg – Soesterberg
MSN:
5355
YOM:
1941
Location:
Nieuw-Vennep
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Soesterberg AFB on an operation to England. It suffered an engine failure and crashed at Nieuw-Vennep. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw J. Jüttner, pilot,
Ofw J. Schuster, observer,
Ofw K. Langer, radio operator,
Ofw F. Lehnert, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Groningen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1942 at 2058 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT148
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Groningen
Groningen
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1705LT on an operation to Emden. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Groningen. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Alexander Muir Harvey, pilot,
Sgt William Arthur Bill Gray, observer,
Sgt John William Hallam, wireless operator,
Sgt Richard Mannering Knapman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a North American B-25 Mitchell in New Hyde Park: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1942 at 0700 LT
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
40-2199
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
MSN:
62A-2868
YOM:
1940
Location:
New Hyde Park
New York
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Mitchell AFB, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a sand pit surrounded by houses in the center of the district of New Hyde Park. All five crew members were killed and there were no other victims on the ground.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles W. Van Eeuwen, pilot,
Pfc Joseph W. Gallick,
Pfc Edwin A. Onufrowicz,
2nd Lt James J. Orr,
Avc Earl W. Ray.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Ostend: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941 at 0139 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V5876
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Bodney - Bodney
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bodney on an operation to Ostend. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas McSkimming Wilson, pilot,
Sgt Robert Johnston, observer,
Sgt Frederick Charles Hubbard, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I in Nantes: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 152 Beaufort
Operator:
Registration:
AW221
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
9928
YOM:
1941
Location:
Nantes
Loire-Atlantique
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1533LT on an operation to Nantes. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a He.115 and crashed in the district of Chantenay, Nantes. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr John Collins Mayhew, pilot,
F/Sgt Edwin Whysall Walters, observer,
Sgt Harold Ashton, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard Howard Fowler, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Tashkent: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1941 at 1745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3538
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Tashkent - Tashkent
MSN:
11/215
YOM:
1939
Location:
Tashkent-Yuzhny
Tashkent Province (Toshkent viloyati)
Country:
Uzbekistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
752
Circumstances:
The crew departed Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport on a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the left engine failed. The crew attempted to return for an emergency landing when the airplane stalled and crashed on the laboratory of a textile factory located 2,5 km northwest of the airport, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed and there were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
Poor flight preparation on part of the crew who failed to recognize that the fuel valve of the left engine was closed prior to takeoff. Failure of the crew to maintain control of the airplane on one engine.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V in Montreal: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1941 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
AM895
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Debert - Debert
MSN:
414-2977
YOM:
1941
Location:
Montreal
Quebec
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
248
Captain / Total hours on type:
73.00
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training flight on behalf of the 31st Operational Training Unit and was on the final of a long distance exercise. While returning to Debert Airport, Nova Scotia, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the pilot decided to divert to Montreal-Dorval Airport. On approach, he lost control of the airplane that crashed on a barn located in Cartierville, some 6 km north of the airfield. The airplane was destroyed by fire and all four occupants were killed.
Crew (31st OTU):
P/O John Fisher Boyd, pilot,
P/O Alan Ewart Gilbert Wainwright, navigator,
Sgt Abie Kirsch, wireless operator.
Passenger:
LAC A. J. Morris.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the pilot being forced to fly at a low altitude due to adverse weather conditions while attempting to approach the Dorval Airport, failed to see the barn and crashed onto it. Or that the pilot stalled the aircraft, commenced a spin and crashed into the barn.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-60 LodeStar in Batavia: 12 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1941 at 1505 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-60 LodeStar
Operator:
Registration:
LT910
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Batavia - Bandung
MSN:
18-2105
YOM:
1941
Location:
Jakarta
City District of Jakarta
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
Five minutes after take off from Batavia-Kemayoran Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane hit tree tops and crashed on a house located in the suburb of the capital city. All five occupants in the aircraft were killed as well as seven people in the house. The Lt Gen Berenschot was returning to his headquarter in Bandung following an international conference in Batavia with Gen Popham of the British Empire Army Forces.
Crew:
Johan Christiaan Frederik Knapp, pilot,
Cpt Watkins, pilot,
Franciscus van Kampen,
Eelco Heinrich Felix de Haan.
Passenger:
Lt Gen Gerardus Johannes Berenschot.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine after takeoff.

Crash of a Martin 166 in Malang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1941 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Malang - Malang
Location:
Malang
West Java
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While completing a training flight, the pilot made a low pass over the city of Malang when the airplane impacted a building where the pilot was living and crashed near a factory. Three crew members and a child on the ground were killed while the fourth occupant was seriously injured. The only survivor died six days later from injuries sustained.
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