Tyne and Wear | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2040LT on August 25 to attack the ME Electric Works in Berlin. At the end of the night, while on final approach to RAF Usworth, the crew was short of fuel and was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to an engine failure. The aircraft crashed in a field located in West Boldon and was damaged beyond repair. Two crew members were injured and two others were unhurt.
Crew:
P/O Richard Henry Bunker, pilot,
Sgt Patrick Aylmer Vivian, observer,
Sgt Godfrey Dennis Thomas, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Harry Scott Haste, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion that caused an engine failure.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-4 off Sunderland: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+AS

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Stavanger - Stavanger

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Stavanger-Sola to attack RAF Usworth near Sunderland. Approaching the British coast, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of an RAF fighter and crashed into the sea off Sunderland. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (8. Staffel III/KG 26):
Oblt Hans von Lüpke, pilot,
Ofw Karl Hennicke, observer,
Uffz Max Knauer, wireless operator,
Uffz Karl Schlick, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Boldon Colliery: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

N7231

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Thornaby - Thornaby

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Thornaby on a maritime patrol flight. On return, it collided with the cable of a barrage balloon, went out control and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. All four crew menbers were killed.
Crew (220th Squadron):
P/O Garth Wells Fuller Carey, pilot,
P/O Phillip Knox Vartan, pilot,
Sgt George Alexander Matthews, air gunner,
Sgt Victor George Gent, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

In-flight collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 off Newcastle

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

5J+EK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Wittmundhafen - Wittmundhafen

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

While approaching the British coast north of Sunderland, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew (2. Staffel I/KG 4):
Fw Siegfried Gessert, pilot,
Uffz Karl-Heinz Beck,
Uffz Willhelm Dieter,
Gfr Horst Filihowski.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88 in Newcastle: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by the pilot of an RAF fighter and crashed in Lemington, in the suburb of Newcastle. All four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by an RAF fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940 at 0421 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

L4054

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1915LT on April 6 on a maritime patrol flight over the North Sea. While returning, the crew sent SOS messages to the St Mary's lighthouse keeper when the aircraft crashed into the sea about half a mile off Whitley Bay. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Wilfred Roberts, pilot,
P/O Keith Brooke-Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Andrew McNicol, observer,
AC1 Denis William Sharpe, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

The following conclusions were put forward by the RAF:
- The fact that the pilot disregarded the instructions to fly to Acklington would suggest that the aircraft was damaged in such a way as to render a landing hazardous.
- The fact that there were no bombs jettisoned over the sea would indicate that the bomb doors or bomb release gear was damaged.
- The fact that the wireless operator remained with the aircraft leads us to assume he was unable to leave it, being badly wounded or killed. The wireless silence from 2153 hrs supports this theory.
Therefore, the opinion of the RAF was that the hydraulic system of L4054 was so badly damaged that the aircraft could not lower its undercarriage or open the bomb doors. It would have been too dangerous to attempt a belly landing at Acklington and therefore wiser to remain in a known area until daylight and then safely evacuate the aircraft.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF at RAF Usworth

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1461

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Wittering – Usworth

MSN:

8744

YOM:

1939

Location:

Usworth AFB (RAF Hylton)

Tyne and Wear

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

On approach to RAF Usworth, the crew was unable to lower the gear that was jammed. The airplane belly landed and came to rest on the runway. All three crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
W/Cdr David Vaughan Carnegie, pilot +2.

Probable cause:

Belly landing after the undercarriage got jammed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4A in Newcastle: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1919 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.4

Operator:

Registration:

G-EAEW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Croydon – Newcastle

MSN:

G7/67

YOM:

1919

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

On final approach to Newcastle, the engine lost power. The aircraft stalled and crashed few km from the airport. The passenger was injured and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Fairey IIIA at RAF Usworth: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1918

Type of aircraft:

Fairey III

Operator:

Marine Aeroplane Depot

Registration:

N2851

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Isle of Grain - Usworth - Glasgow

Location:

Usworth AFB (RAF Hylton)

Tyne and Wear

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The pilot departed Isle of Grain on a delivery flight to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport. On approach to RAF Usworth (RAF Hylton), he elected to make a go-around when the aircraft lost height and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, Captain Arthur Leslie Simms, was killed.