Dorset

The airplane departed London-Heathrow Airport at 1010LT on a test flight regarding the renewal of its Certificate of Airworthiness. After performing the necessary test, the crew requested a descent from 12,000 feet to 3,000 feet. Three minutes after starting the descent, while cruising in a visibility reduced by fog, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed in a field located in Winkton, southeast of Bournemouth-Hurn Airport. Seven occupants were killed while three others were seriously injured. The aircraft disintegrated on impact.

The crew consisting of pilots and engineers of the Bristol Aeroplane Company left Bristol-Filton Airport at 1003LT for a test flight to obtain engine and propeller datas in specific flight conditions. While cruising off the Isle of Portland, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and dove into The Channel. Some debris were found 26 km off the Portland's lighthouse and all seven crew members were killed.

Two pilots and one engineer were conducting a one hour test flight from Bournemouth-Hurn Airport. While circling around the airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions but the captain informed ground he was able to reach the airfield. Shortly later, while flying at low height, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located in Chewton Common, southeast of the airport. All three occupants were killed.
It was reported in the final report that the flight was planned to obtain fuel consumption figures of the Gypsy 70 engine under cruising conditions & Captain R. G. Buck, the pilot, took off from Hurn at 1620LT, his intention being to carry out a flight of one hour duration below the cloud which was then at 1,200 feet. No notification of the flight was made to flying control until the time of take-off & no weather forecast was requested or given. It is presumed that the test was satisfactorily concluded for at 1714LT the Captain requested permission to join the circuit prior to landing. This was given together with weather information & Q.F.E. Weather conditions then began to deteriorate rapidly, cloud base lowering to 800 feet with rain. Capt. Buck gave his position as being over Bournemouth Pier at 1724LT and was instructed not to fly above 1,500 feet owing to the presence of another aircraft at 2,000 feet. Rockets & Very lights were fired & at 1735LT the pilot announced that he could see the airfield. He immediately carried out a left-hand circuit at an estimated height of 200 feet with the undercarriage down, at times going out of view into low cloud & rain. An approach at about 50 feet on runway 170 was attempted but the pilot failed to line-up with the runway & passed over the center of the airfield & disappeared in a right hand circuit. After a similar unsuccessful attempt to land, the controller gave permission for landing on any runway & gave further assistance by lighting sodium funnels. Capt. Buck then asked for a diversion stating " No radio, VHF not working & endurance three hours." At 1804LT he was told the best weather was in the London area & that London Airport had G.C.A & could work him on 5100 kc/s. The suggestion was not acted upon so the controller proposed he should make a further attempt to land at Hurn. Capt. Buck's reply was " Do not know where I am, but will try to find you." At approximately 1808LT the aircraft struck a row of trees & crashed in an adjoining copse. Weather conditions were bad with fine drizzle, a cloud base of 60 feet & visibility down to as little as 200 yards.

During the takeoff roll, the crew lost control of the aircraft that veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Bournemouth-Hurn Airport, while on a local training flight, the captain encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The twin engine aircraft went out of control and crash landed in a field near the airport. The pilot Captain Collier and a passenger, a De Havilland representative, Mr. North, were killed. Two other passengers, also BOAC employees, Mr. A. Pierce and P. Fawcett, were injured.

Shortly after liftoff, while in initial climb, the pilot in command reduced the engine power. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were killed. They were involved in a local training sortie.

For unknown reason, the seaplane landed hard off Poole. There were no casualties among the 20 occupants but the aircraft christened 'Hailsham' was considered as damaged beyond repair.

On the morning of Friday, June 15, 1945, with the war still raging in the Far East, Liberator JT985 of No 232 Squadron took off from RAF Holmsley South in the New Forest, on the first leg of its long flight to New Delhi-Palam Airport, India. The first refueling stop was scheduled to be at RAF Castel Benito, near Tripoli in North Africa. This Liberator was a passenger-carrying RY-3' (US designation) variant, with passenger accommodation in the former bomb bay area as well as within the main fuselage, and was distinguished easily from the twin tail fin bomber variants so well known with Coastal Command and the USAAF by its single large tail fin. It was unarmed. The weather at Holmsley South was poor, but both the captain and the duty executive officer considered it suitable for take-off, but poor enough for a diversion to be likely if an early return was necessitated. JT985 departed at 07:20 hours. At 07:45 hours, shortly after crossing the coast outbound, the aircraft reported a loss of fuel pressure and that the crew were turning back to carry out a precautionary landing at Holmsley South. This information was repeated again 10 minutes later. At around 08:15 hours the owner of Encombe House, Sir Ernest Scott, and a worker at Encombe dairy saw the aircraft, which was obviously below the height of the hills, and both knew instinctively that it was going to crash. It impacted on the edge of what is now the Dorset Coastal Path, the wings were ripped off and the engines detached and were thrown forward towards Orchard Hill Farm, one wing coming to rest on the footpath (not a public footpath) in Polar Wood leading from the top of the ridge to the farm. There were no survivors. The first to reach the scene were an RAF sergeant by the name of Reginald Reynolds, who was staying at Encombe House, and members of an Army searchlight battery located between the farm and the village of Kingston; they were soon joined by RAF personnel from, presumably, nearby RAF Worth Matravers. The National Fire Service from Swanage was soon on the scene, as were local police officers. When the low cloud lifted at about eleven o'clock a scene of total devastation was revealed. The tragic remains of 27 bodies was joined by much in the way of personal belongings such as a baby's photograph, playing cards, personal notebooks, wallets and the like, together with a distinguished flying cross, thrown from its box but which was also retrieved. Who did the DFC belong to? Not any of the crew or passengers, so maybe it was being taken to India for presentation to its owner? There was also a large amount of tropical uniform items and, to the delight of the local children, tins of boiled sweets. The bodies of the crash victims were eventually taken away to Poole Mortuary. This was, and still is, Dorset's worst ever air crash.
Crew (232nd Squadron):
F/Lt Saxon Cole, pilot,
F/O Donald Twaddle, copilot,
F/O Joseph Todd, navigator,
F/O George McPherson, radio officer,
Sgt George Wyke, flight engineer.
Source: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=25114

Shortly after take off from Bournemouth-Hurn Airport, while climbing by night, the crew encountered an engine failure and elected to return. While completing a turn at low height, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion in the district of Moordown, Bournemouth. All seven crew members were killed as well as two people on the ground. Several houses were destroyed in the accident.
Crew:
Sergeant Denis R. Evans, pilot,
Sergeant Henry W. Roberts, navigator,
Stanley A. Appleton, bomb aimer,
Sergeant George A. Alexander, wireless operator,
Sergeant Stanley F. Gent, flight engineer,
Sergeant Kenneth Green, air gunner,
Sergeant Reginald R. McGregor, air gunner.
Local resident:
Dorothea Bennett,
Percy F. Chislett.

While taxiing, the brakes failed. The aircraft veered off taxiway and collided with a transformer. Nobody was hurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.