Country
code

Nottinghamshire

Crash of a Cessna T303 Crusader near Nottingham

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1998 at 1833 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
G-BSPF
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sheffield – Nottingham
MSN:
303-00100
YOM:
1982
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
290
Captain / Total hours on type:
68.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft was en route from Sheffield City Airport to Nottingham where it was based. The pilot joined the traffic zone at Burton Joyce, an unofficial but well used Visual Reporting Point, at a height of about 1,000 feet. The weather was fine with good visibility and the pilot took the opportunity to view the house of the aircraft's co-owner located in the vicinity of Burton Joyce. While orbiting the house, the pilot felt a moderate 'bumping' sensation which he attributed to thermal activity rather than pre-stall buffet. The left wing suddenly dropped and the aircraft rolled through the vertical. The pilot applied corrective rudder and moved the control column forward which rolled the aircraft erect but he was unable to arrest the rate of descent because the engines did not appear to be developing full power. He therefore elected to carry out a forced landing with the landing gear retracted. On approaching the field, the aircraft struck a telegraph pole, yawed to the left and landed with a very high rate of descent before coming to a halt after a short ground slide. The pilot was unable to evacuate the aircraft because of his injuries but was rescued by local people who were quickly on the scene. There was no fire. The pilot stated that at the time the aircraft departed from normal flight, he was flying at about 100 kt with 60° of bank. The basic stalling speed of the aircraft in the configuration at the time was about 70 kt. Application of the correction for load factor in the turn would have given a stalling speed of 100 kt. The majority of eye witnesses stated that the aircraft was very low at the point at which it departed from normal flight, probably in the region of 300 feet above ground level.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 691 Lancastrian C.2 at RAF Hucknall: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VL970
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hucknall - Hucknall
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local test flight at RAF Hucknall on behalf of the Rolls Royce motorist. On short final, the pilot-in-command decided to make a go around when control was lost. A wing hit the ground and the airplane crashed, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 near Fenton

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF384
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
543
YOM:
1952
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing a training sortie, the crew encountered a double engine failure and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed in a field located near Fenton and came to rest in a river. While both crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Wigsley

Date & Time: May 13, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF393
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wigsley - Wigsley
MSN:
552
YOM:
1952
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach, the airplane stalled and hit the ground short of runway threshold. On impact, both wings were sheared off and the aircraft came to rest in flames. All four crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew was performing a flapless approach when the stall occurred on short final.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 near RAF Syerston: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1954
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF327
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
MSN:
519
YOM:
1951
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Swinderby for a local training mission. Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the crew was instructed to divert to RAF Syerston. Few minutes later, the pilot encountered technical problems with the left engine that was shot down and its propeller feathered. On final approach to RAF Syerston, the pilot was forced to make a go around for unknown reason. During its second attempt to land, the aircraft was seen to fly over the airbase at low height with its landing gear down. Suddenly, it bank left and crashed in a field located two miles from the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew (201st Advanced Flying School):
Sgt G. E. Cheesley, pilot,
Sgt P. C. Leach, pilot,
P/O M. W. Clarke, navigator,
Sgt L. J. Herbert, signaller.
Probable cause:
Weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident and the visibility was considered as below minima for such type of flight. It was determined that the pilot was familiarized with Vickers Wellington and that in the past, he regularly encountered difficulties for maintaining control with one engine out.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.20 in RAF Newton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VS507
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Newton - Newton
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at RAF Newton. On final approach, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and sighted the runway after passing the last cloud layer at a height of 200 feet. Due to few patches of fog, he lost the runway and decided to make a go around. The aircraft slightly climbed then stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. Six crew members were killed while a seventh was seriously injured. It was reported that the total weight of the aircraft was above the max landing weight, which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.21 near RAF Syerston

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WB455
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising in poor weather conditions, the crew lost radio aids and attempted to make an emergency landing when the twin engine aircraft crashed in a field located near the RAF Syerston. Both occupants were unhurt while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of radio aids.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 in RAF Wigsley

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF324
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wigsley - Wigsley
MSN:
516
YOM:
1951
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach, during the last segment, the copilot-in-command made a wrong maneuver, causing the airplane to descend rapidly. The aircraft hit violently the runway surface, causing the left main gear to collapse and the left wing to partially brake off. The airplane went out of control and came to rest. Both pilots were uninjured.
Probable cause:
Wrong maneuver on part of the pilot-in-command.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 in Staythorpe: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF407
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training mission called 'Operation Bulldog' consisting of an aerial attack of a target located outside the city of Staythorpe. While approaching the target on the north of the city at low height, the aircraft collided with a second RAF Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 registered RE374 and carrying also a crew of seven. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field, killing all 14 crew members.
Crew (61st Squadron):
Stanley Wilson +6.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty but could have been caused by minor errors in timing, a convergence of tracks on approach to the target or inadequate lookout by each crew.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 in Staythorpe: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RE374
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training mission called 'Operation Bulldog' consisting of an aerial attack of a target located outside the city of Staythorpe. While approaching the target on the north of the city at low height, the aircraft collided with a second RAF Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 registered RF407 and carrying also a crew of seven. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field, killing all 14 crew members.
Crew (57th Squadron):
F/Lt John Shorthouse, pilot,
Henry Richardson, pilot,
Charles Denis Kirby, flight engineer,
Albert Henry James Mitchell, navigator,
Philip Edward Pattullo, gunner,
John Edwin Conway Simpson, signaler,
Edwards Charles Talbot, gunner.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty but could have been caused by minor errors in timing, a convergence of tracks on approach to the target or inadequate lookout by each crew.