Derbyshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While on a training mission, the crew was forced to return to his base due to the deterioration of the weather conditions. On approach in foggy conditions, the aircraft crashed and exploded, killing all six occupants.
Crew (27th OTU):
F/Lt František Fanta, pilot,
Sgt Josef Hrala, pilot,
P/O Karel Mucha,
P/O Václav Obšil,
Sgt Emil Tufkel,
Sgt Rudolf Jelínek.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I on Kinder Scout: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942 at 2038 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE381

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While completing a night training exercise, the airplane crashed at 2038LT at a place known as Cluther Rocks on Kinder Scout in the Derbyshire Peak District, following an attempt to lands at Manchester-Ringway Airport. Weather conditions were extremely poor at the time of the accident. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Royal George Heron,
Sgt Sydney Albert Peters, wireless operator,
Sgt William Thomas Tromans, wireless operator,
Sgt Walter Chantler Williams.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain. It is believed that the crew failed to see the rising ground until it was too late to take avoiding action.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Ashbourne: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1942 at 2348 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5514

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Binbrook - Binbrook

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Binbrook at 1707LT on an operation to Brest. In the late evening, it returned to base when, on final approach, it collided with high tension cables and a lorry and crashed. Five crew members escaped with minor injuries. Earlier, while taking evasive action over the target, F/S Bryant bailed out as ordered, and was killed.
Crew:
P/O J. M. Garlick,
F/Sgt Harry Douglas Bryant, †
Sgt N. Erskine,
Sgt B. L. Schauenberg,
Sgt E. F. A. Matthews,
Sgt J. Stevens.

Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I on Mt Bleaklow: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn B-26 Botha

Operator:

Registration:

W5103

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Sherburn-in-Elmet – Hawarden

MSN:

3241/39

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Sherburn-in-Elmet to Hawarden, while flying over the Peak District National Park, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of Mt Bleaklow located east of Manchester. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew (6th FPP):
F/O Thomas William Rogers.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it is believed that it was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain as the pilot was attempting to establish a visual contact with the ground while flying in clouds.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Chellaston

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1941 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6648

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2082

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2026LT on September 2 on an operation to Frankfurt. While returning to base the following morning, it crash landed at Chellaston on the southern outskirts of Derby. All five crew members escaped with minor injuries.
Crew:
Sgt D. W. Mercer,
Sgt Gardiner,
Sgt Armstrong,
Sgt Hemming,
Sgt Taylor.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Chapel-en-le-Frith

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

V3210

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cranwell - Cranwell

MSN:

2877

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot departed RAF Cranwell on a solo training exercise. After he completed the flight above the clouds, he started the descent back to the base. Flying in clouds, the airplane crashed into a hill located near Chapel-en-le-Frith. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was injured.
Crew:
LAC Brian C. Forsdick, pilot.

Probable cause:

It was reported that the pilot failed to follow the instruction not to fly above the clouds.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Edale: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1941 at 0405 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

W5719

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Snaith - Snaith

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Snaith in the evening of July 30 on an operation to Cologne. En route, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions and decided to return to base. While flying at low height, the bomber impacted the slope of a hill near Edale. Five crew members were killed and a sixth occupant was seriously injured.
Crew (150th Squadron):
Sgt Percival Harold Charles Parrot, pilot, †
Sgt Joseph Arthur Haswell, pilot, †
Sgt Jack Douglas Evelle, observer, †
Sgt Frederick Kenneth Webber, wireless operator , †
Sgt Dennis Aloysius Monk, air gunner, †
Sgt Earl Tilley, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Conksbury

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7811

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Midlenhall at 1811LT on February 11 to attack the Mercedes-Benz factory in Bremen. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel and was abandoned over Derbyshire. All six crew members were found alive, among them one was injured. The airplane crashed in Conksbury and was destroyed.
Crew (149th Squadron):
Sgt H. G. Turner, pilot,
Sgt B. F. Campbell,
Sgt J. B. McKnight,
Sgt H. G. Pates,
Sgt D. Piper,
Sgt G. Rae.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Castleton: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1940 at 2015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X3154

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Finningley - Finningley

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Finningley on a night training exercise. While flying too low in limited visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of hilly terrain in Lords Seat, two miles west of Castleton. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Michael Hubbard, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Walsingham Boyd Perkins, pilot,
Sgt Derrick Joseph Davey, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt David William Smith, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft was 50 miles west of its intended track and was flying too low. A contributory factor may also have been due to poor definition between the low cloud and the snow-covered ground.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Woolley Bridge

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

K7172

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

8125

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew encountered poor weather conditions and attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a field and came to rest upside down. Both crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
P/O Donald Anderson, pilot +1.

Subscribe to Derbyshire