Cheshire

Following an uneventful flight from Jersey, with an intermediate landing at Exeter, the aircraft made a left circuit at Somerford onto a 1 mile final approach to runway 36. Somerford is an 800 metre by 21 metre grass runway, bounded by a belt of 50-60 feet high trees at the southern end of the runway with a field of soft ground on the west side. The wind was 330°/13 kts and the temperature was 12°C. As the aircraft crossed the trees, at normal approach speed and rate of descent, the pilot reduced power for the landing and the aircraft suddenly dropped to the ground at the runway threshold. The left main gear separated at impact and when the wingtip struck, the aircraft swung to the left into the soft ground, causing the right gear to collapse. All the occupants' diagonal upper torso restraints held on impact and the crew and passengers left the aircraft via the normal exits.

The aircraft was engaged upon a contracted freight (mail) flight, from Liverpool to the Isle of Man, U.K, and was planned to depart Liverpool at 07:29 hrs. Prior to departure the fuel gauges indicated between 80 and 85 Imperial Gallons (IG). As the required fuel for the planned flight was 82 IG, the aircraft was not refuelled. After an uneventful flight, made a radar approach to runway 09 at the Ronaldsway-Isle of Man Airport. Having failed to see the runway by decision height, 460 feet, the commander carried out a go-around procedure and returned to the VOR approach beacon before departing on course to the selected diversion. Considering the wind, the pilot made a return to Liverpool (86 nm) instead of the planned diversion airfield of to Valley RAF Station (51 nm). When abeam the Wallasey VOR, 15 nm from Liverpool airport, the aircraft was positioned, by radar, downwind for an approach to runway 27. As the aircraft turned onto the final approach path, the right engine lost power but. The pilot did not feather the propeller, in the belief that the engine was still producing some power. As the rate of descent increased, he applied full throttle to all three engines but, despite this and the selection of the speed necessary to achieve the optimum climb rate, the aircraft continued to descend at a rate which made a landing considerably short of the runway inevitable. The commander made a truncated MAYDAY call and firmly placed the aircraft in a convenient open field below and slightly to the north of the normal approach path. The accident site was a low lying field of winter crop that was subject to tidal flooding. Approximately halfway across the field there was a 2.4 metre wide by 2.4 metre deep drainage ditch, which ran at 45 degrees to the direction of travel of the aircraft. The initial touchdown was some 76 metres to the east of the ditch, on a heading of 270 degrees magnetic. Just after initial touchdown, the right main landing gear failed rearwards and the aircraft continued on its nose and left landing gear, until a collision with an embankment bordering the ditch caused the remaining landing gears to collapse. The aircraft finally came to rest with its fuselage in the drainage ditch, supported by the wings which were resting on the embankments either side.

The crew of a SUN Neptune registered 122443 was performing a local training mission at RAF Burtonwood. On touchdown, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with the C-47 that was holding for takeoff with a crew of ten on board. Both aircraft were destroyed and among the 12 occupants on board the Neptune, one was killed while 11 others were injured. On board the C-47, six crew members were killed while four others were injured. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited due to poor weather conditions.

The crew was performing a local training mission at RAF Burtonwood. On touchdown, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a USAF C-47 registered 42-100912 that was holding for takeoff with a crew of ten on board. Both aircraft were destroyed and among the 12 occupants on board the Neptune, one was killed while 11 others were injured. On board the C-47, six crew members were killed while four others were injured. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited due to poor weather conditions.

Enroute, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing for unknown reason. The aircraft crash landed in a field in Chelford and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Shortly after takeoff from Woodford Airport, while climbing to a height of some 60-80 feet, the four engine aircraft banked right, stalled and crashed in a wooded area. Four occupants were killed while two others were rescued.
Crew:
Bill Thorn, pilot, †
David Wilson, copilot, †
John Webster, flight engineer and radio operator, †
Roy Chadwick, technician and designer, †
Eddie Talbot, flight engineer,
Stuart Davies, chief designer.

The crew left RAF Wheaton Aston in the morning for a training mission. About 37 minutes after departure, while cruising at a too low altitude in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and was destroyed. Both crew members were killed. The crew was flying at an insufficient altitude, maybe to maintain a visual contact with the ground.
Crew (21st AFU):
F/O David Fairless Oliver, instructor,
F/Sgt Eric Bulcock , pilot.

The twin engine aircraft left RAF Cranwell for a cross country navigation flight. Around 45 minutes later, the weather worsened with low clouds. To maintain a visual contact with the ground, the pilot decided to reduce his altitude when the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Shutlingsloe. Three crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew:
F/O Horace Keith Shawyer, pilot,
F/Lt Horace Garth Featonby, pilot, †
LAC Fred Roscoe, †
Cpl Albert Joseph Burd,
LAC George Fishwick. †

The crew was flying to Le Culot Airbase, Belgium, with supplies on board. The aircraft was scheduled to make a stop at RAF Grove, Oxfordshire. Some 30 minutes after its departure from RAF Burtonwood, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to return to his departure point. In low visibility (30 to 40 yards), the aircraft hit a tree and crashed in flames in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and six occupants were killed. The captain was the only survivor.
Crew (33rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron):
Maj Theodore A. Rogers, pilot,
1st Lt John E. Barnby, copilot,
Sgt William E. Davis,
Charles P. Ingram.
Passenger:
Lt Col Richard L. Cardozo,
Lt Col Holmes L. Payne,
Maj Cecil R. Steele.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrict41-38608.htm

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a flight from Vélizy-Villacoublay. En route, the single engine hit the slope of Mt Shining Tor located between Macclesfield and Buxton. The pilot was seriously injured while the aircraft was destroyed.