Nord | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Lille-Lesquin Airport and was completing several touch-and-go maneuvers. On final approach, just prior to touchdown, the airplane went out of control and crashed onto the runway. It was damaged beyond repair and both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Jean-Claude Timmermans, student pilot,
Étienne Lemmens, instructor.

Probable cause:

It was determined that one of the propeller went into reverse mode just prior to touchdown for undetermined reasons, causing the aircraft to lose speed and height.

Crash of a Miles M.57 Aerovan V in Herzeele

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1956

Type of aircraft:

Miles M.57 Aerovan

Operator:

Air Ads

Registration:

G-AJWD

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

6412

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

For unknown reason, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in a field located in Herzeele, about 20 km south of Dunkerque. The aircraft was written off and the occupant fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 in Vicq: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1955 at 0015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Varsity

Operator:

Registration:

WF426

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

City

MSN:

569

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Parked at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex, the aircraft was stolen by Manik Agnani, a 22 years old mechanic from the RAF who did not held any pilot licence. Hew flew over the London area for more than three hours and then changed his route and flew to the south, over The Channel and then to France. Shortly past midnight, he lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in flames onto a house located in Vicq, about 9 km northeast of Valenciennes. The pilot was killed and four people in the house as well, two old people and two young girls aged 9 and 10.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Dunkirk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

MG552

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Knokke le Zoute Airfield, near Zeebrugge, to England. While approaching Dunkirk, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing all four crew members. It appears that the crew was flying too close to the city of Dunkirk which was still occupied by the German forces.
Crew (276th Squadron):
W/Cdr Norman John Starr,
W/Cdr James Heathcote Humphris,
S/L Henry Crawford Haley,
F/O Rowland Baker Moore.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO Skytrooper in Cambrai

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

42-68822

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Creil – Cambrai

MSN:

11749

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crash landed for unknown reason at Cambrai-Niergnies Airfield. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston IIIA in Lille

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

BZ399

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Swanton Morlay - Swanton Morlay

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful supply mission over Courtrai, Belgium, the twin engine aircraft was returning to its base in Swanton Morlay, when the crew encountered engine problems and was forced to divert to Lille Airport. The crew completed a belly landing and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair while all four crew members were uninjured.
Crew (88th Squadron):
F/O J. B. Wilson,
P/O W. T. MacDonald,
F/L F. J. G. Patridge,
Sgt. T. Hunt.

Probable cause:

Both engine should be cut by the crew for unknown reason.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 in La Bassée: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1942 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lille - Lille

MSN:

3732

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in La Bassée, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Fw Karl Selzan, pilot,
Gefr Walter Tydecks, observer,
Gefr Karl Gaßmann, radio operator,
Uffz Rudolf Just, mechanic,
Gefr Georg Schulz, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Dunkirk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6973

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Dalton - Dalton

MSN:

2255

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Dalton at 1643LT on an operation to Dunkirk. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Edward Baldock,
F/Sgt Wilson Gilmore Caldwell,
F/Sgt Walter Arthur Evans,
Sgt Douglas Gordon Jack,
Sgt George Edward Thompson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Dunkirk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941 at 2003 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE377

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1730LT on an operation to Dunkirk. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Tom Copsey,
P/O Walter John Frost,
P/O John Lindsay,
P/O Francis Leonard Smith.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Lille

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1705

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1839LT on an operation to Mannheim. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Lille. Four crew members became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
Sgt Bruno Bilinski,
Sgt Stanisław Konarzewski,
F/O Piotr Jozef Kowalski,
Sgt Kasimierz Roman Sobczak,
P/O Zbigniew Groyecki,
Sgt Jan Budzynski.