Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero near Tobruk: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1940 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero
Operator:
Registration:
I-MANU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
El Feteyat - Tobruk
MSN:
32040
YOM:
1940
Location:
Tobruk
Butnan (البطنان)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft departed El Feteyat Airfield at 1700LT bound for Tobruk. Half way down, the crew informed ground he was about 160 km east of his departure point. While approaching Tobruk, the aircraft was hit by ground fire, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in some 60 km west of Tobruk, bursting into flames. All nine occupants were killed, among them the Italian Minister of Aviation Italo Balbo.
Crew:
Marechal Italo Balbo, Pilot,
Maj Ottavio Frailich, copilot,
Cpt Gino Cappannini, flight engineer,
Sgt-Major Giuseppe Berti, radio navigator,
Enrico Caretti,
Lino Balbo,
Claudio Brunelli,
Nello Quilici,
Cino Florio.
Probable cause:
One day after the crash, the Italian Government announced officially that the airplane had been accidentally shot down by the Italian navy ship named 'San Giorgio' mooring off the Libyan coast. The airplane was obviously misidentified.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Kabribahar: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1940 at 1315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L4920
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Aden - Aden
MSN:
8935
YOM:
1939
Location:
Kabribahar
Woqooyi Galbeed (وقويي جالبيد‎)
Country:
Somalia
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Following the attack of Italian positions in Dire Dawa, the aircraft was damaged by the pilot of an Italian fighter. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in a desert area located near Kabribahar, some 95 km northeast of Hargeisa. A crew was injured, a second was unhurt and a third was killed.
Crew:
P/O D. Hunter, pilot,
Sgt R. Ellis, observer,
Sgt Reginald Olley, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I in Libya: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 130 Bombay
Operator:
Registration:
L5850
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
MSN:
SH.43
YOM:
1939
Location:
Libya
All Libya
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the Libyan desert while on its way to el-Gubba, east of Tobruk. W/O N. P. Donnelly survived and became a PoW while four other occupants were killed.
Crew (216th Squadron):
F/S Benjamin T. M. Baker, pilot, †
F/L John B. W. Smith, pilot, †
LAC Alfred F. Crohill, †
Cpl William C. Royle, wireless operator and air gunner, †
W/O N. P. Donnelly.

Special thanks to Nigel Hartley for his testimony.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Al-Jaghbub: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1940 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8524
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Fuka - Fuka
Location:
Al-Jaghbub
Butnan (البطنان)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Fuka to attack the Italian positions in Al-Jaghbub. Approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O John Scott Davies, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey Edward Negus, observer,
LAC John King Copeland, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Sidi Barrani: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1940 at 0540 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8519
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Fuka - Fuka
Location:
Sidi Barrani
Matruh
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Following a night bombing mission over El Adem, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Sidi Barrani. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Maurice C. Thurlow, pilot,
Sgt Bernard Alfred Feldman, observer,
AC1 Henry Robinson, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV I near El Adem

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L4823
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Fuka - Fuka
MSN:
8838
YOM:
1939
Location:
El Adem
Butnan (البطنان)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Fuka on a bombing mission over Italian positions in El Adem. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed 7 km from El Adem. All three crew members were seriously injured and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O D. Beauclair, pilot,
Sgt H. J. Owen, observer,
LAC J. Dobson, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86Z-1 in Pampa de Camarones

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.86
Operator:
Registration:
CC-LAN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Arica – Iquique
MSN:
220
YOM:
1937
Location:
Pampa de Camarones
Región de Arica y Parinacota
Country:
Chile
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Iquique to Arica, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing following an engine failure. The airplane crash landed in a desert area located in Pampa de Camarones, some 50 km south of Arica. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the twin engine aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Hector Lopehandía, pilot.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Percival P.10 Vega Gull near Bardaï

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Percival P.10 Vega Gull
Operator:
Jean Morel de Foucaucourt
Registration:
F-AQIR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Algiers - Faya-Largeau - Antananarivo
MSN:
K.104
YOM:
1937
Location:
Bardaï
Tibesti
Country:
Chad
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot/owner Jean Morel de Foucaucourt and his wife were performing a flight from France to Antananarivo, Madagascar, with several intermediate stops in Africa. On its way from Algiers to Faya-Largeau, Chad, the pilot encountered technical problems and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a desert area located in Tibesti and was damaged beyond repair and abandoned in situ. Both occupants were quickly rescued.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I near RAF Habbaniya: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
K7097
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
MSN:
8050
YOM:
1937
Location:
Habbaniyah AFB
Al-Anbar (الأنبار)
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude, the twin engine airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a desert area located about 100 km southwest of Habbaniya. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/Ldr Percy Kinsey, pilot,
Sgt Vernon Walter Garside killed, pilot,
AC1 Reginald Walter Carpenter,
AC1 Lewis William Cooper,
AC1 Frederick Oscar Gamble,
Capt John Barnett Harvey.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a loss of control caused by a carburetor icing.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86 Z-5 near Juba

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.86
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-AJE
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
MSN:
258
YOM:
1937
Location:
Juba
Central Equatoria (الاستوائية الوسطى)
Country:
South Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a delivery flight to South Africa when an unexpected situation forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing in a desert area located some 70 miles east of Juba, Sudan. While both crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Subscribe to Desert