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Warwickshire

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 at RAF Gaydon

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
VM352
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
7356
Location:
Gaydon AFB
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, an undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft slid for several yards and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3D in Spernall

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1953 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
EI-ACF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dublin – Birmingham
MSN:
42957
YOM:
1946
Location:
Spernall
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7303
Captain / Total hours on type:
3369.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3599
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2668
Aircraft flight hours:
10968
Circumstances:
Christened 'St Kieran', the aircraft left Dublin at 0936LT Bound for Birmingham, carrying 22 passengers and a crew of three. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 feet, both engines lost power. The crew decided to make an emergency landing and the aircraft came to rest in a field located in Spernall. It was damaged beyond repair while all 25 occupants were evacuated safely, except for the copilot who was injured.
Probable cause:
The primary cause of the accident was loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The Inquiry found that this was caused by selecting the port engine to the right main tank to which the starboard engine was also selected. The loss of engine power alone was the sole cause of the accident, which could have been avoided had the crew diagnosed the cause of the trouble and changed the fuel feed to another tank. The failure to diagnose fuel starvation was probably due to the circumstances: i.e. first, the lack of coordinated effort by the Captain and First Officer after the engines cut; second, the knowledge of the crew that ample fuel for the flight was on board and their belief that the engines were drawing from their respective main tanks. The actual forced landing of the aircraft in conditions of low cloud, poor forward visibility and unfavorable terrain was skilfully executed and resulted in the passengers escaping unharmed.
Final Report:

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford T.1 in RAF Wellesbourne Mountford: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
NM548
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wellesbourne Mountford - Wellesbourne Mountford
Location:
Wellesbourne Mountford AFB
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was performing a local training sortie at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford. While descending to the airbase at an altitude of 2,000 feet, he lost control of the airplane that nosed down and plunged to an altitude of 800 feet. Then it went into a dive and crashed in flames in a field, killing the pilot.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the incapacity of the pilot to maintain a suitable control of the airplane after he was intoxicated by carbon monoxide whose origin remains unknown.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.21 in Exhall: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1949 at 0945 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
VV243
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton St George - Mepal
Location:
Exhall
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising in VFR mode over the region of Coventry at an altitude of 4,500 feet, the Anson collided with a BEA C-47 registered G-AHCW and carrying four crew members and six passengers from Northolt to Glasgow. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Exhall, north of Coventry. All 14 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a midair collision. Since neither aircraft took any apparent avoiding action it must be concluded that the pilot of the Anson did not see the Dakota and that the pilots of the Dakota did not see the Anson. This must be attributed to failure on the part of the captain of each aircraft to ensure the maintenance of an effective lookout.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK Dakota C.3 in Exhall: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1949 at 0945 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHCW
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Northolt – Glasgow
MSN:
13308
YOM:
1944
Location:
Exhall
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While cruising in VFR mode over the region of Coventry at an altitude of 4,500 feet, the C-47 collided with a RAF Avro Anson registered VV243 and carrying four pilots under training. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Exhall, north of Coventry. All 14 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a midair collision. Since neither aircraft took any apparent avoiding action it must be concluded that the pilot of the Anson did not see the Dakota and that the pilots of the Dakota did not see the Anson. This must be attributed to failure on the part of the captain of each aircraft to ensure the maintenance of an effective lookout.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III Leamington Spa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1946 at 1120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
PB373
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a test flight when the aircraft exploded in the air, disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field. All six occupants were killed.
Crew (115th Squadron):
F/Lt John Douglas Cantrell, pilot,
F/Sgt Donald Frederick Payne, flight engineer,
F/Lt Frederick Reginald Berry, air bomber,
F/Sgt Maurice John Newman, navigator,
F/Sgt Dennis William Crutchley, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Ronald Stedman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. It is possible that the aircraft caught fire in flight. Several elements from elevators and wings were sheared off while the aircraft was diving into the ground.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in RAF Church Lawford: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1945 at 0950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
HN311
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Church Lawford - Church Lawford
Location:
Church Lawford AFB
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On approach to RAF Church Lawford, the twin engine aircraft was too low, hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area. Both crew members were killed.
Crew (1533 BAT):
W/O Frank Needham, pilot,
Sgt Eric Kershaw, pilot.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 I Oxford in RAF Church Lawford: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
HN854
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Snitterfield - Church Lawford
Location:
Church Lawford AFB
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On final approach, the crew decided to perform a go around. For unknown reason, the twin engine aircraft overshot, hit tree tops located at the end of the runway and crashed in flames in a wooded area. Both pilots were killed.
Crew (18th PAFU):
F/O Albert William John Lyons, pilot,
F/O Alexander Stephen Lees, pilot.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Hillmorton: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
LW863
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Snitterfield - Snitterfield
Location:
Hillmorton
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a snowstorm. Due to icing conditions, the captain ordered his second to bail out and attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft went out of control and eventually crashed in a wooded area. While the second pilot was unhurt, the captain was killed.
Crew (18th AFU):
F/O D. J. Turner, pilot,
F/O Fred Waddingham, pilot.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Edgehill: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
N9565
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Edgehill
Warwickshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
En route, while cruising at low height, the twin engine aircraft hit high tension cables and crashed in a field. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (3rd AOS):
P/O G. W. Ardley,
P/O C. A. Harris,
Sgt H. Cohen,
Sgt S. Laws.
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