West Yorkshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was performing a night training flight over the Isle of Man. While returning to his base at RAF Driffield, the crew failed to realize he was flying too low. The aircraft impacted the slope of a hill at Hayhills Farm, near Silsden, and was destroyed. Four crewmen were killed and a fifth occupant was seriously injured.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
Sgt Norman Kelvin Bott, pilot, †
P/O Alexander William Fletcher, pilot, †
Sgt Charles William Cavey Fleming Harrison, observer, †
Sgt Alan Steel, wireless operator, †
Sgt Len G. Smalley, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I in Horsforth: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn B-26 Botha

Operator:

Registration:

L6160

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Brough - Leeds - Silloth

MSN:

7864/7

YOM:

1940

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On May 24, the pilot departed Brough on a ferry flight to RAF Silloth. Due to poor weather conditions, he diverted to RAF Yeadon (Leeds Airport) where he spent the night. On May 25, as weather conditions improved, he took off from RAF Yeadon when, shortly after takeoff, he was facing houses and made a sharp turn to the right when the airplane impacted with a stone wall and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew:
P/O John Taverner Wilson Clark, pilot.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I on Black Hill: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 23, 1940 at 0400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

L4055

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

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Following a bombing mission over Mönchengladbach, the crew was returning to his base at RAF Scampton. At night, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to fog when the airplane impacted the slope of Black Hill located about 4 miles south of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Stanley William Jenkins, pilot,
Sgt Peter William Josse, navigator,
Sgt Alan Marsh, observer,
AC1 Willie Thornton, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow II in Headley Bar

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow

Operator:

Registration:

K6983

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

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The 21st of April 1940 was Harrow K6983's first day with its new Unit, 271 Squadron, and it was being flown to RAF Finningley (Doncaster) to begin service with them. In the Tadcaster area bad weather was encountered and the pilot of the aircraft was intending to force-land on the former First World War airstrip at Bramham, to the west of Tadcaster. The aircraft hit a bank nearby at Headley Bar and crashed. With this being an outdated aircraft it was deemed not worth repairable and was written off.
Source: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow II in Kirk Smeaton

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow

Operator:

Registration:

K6991

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The crew was performing a night training exercise on behalf of the 214th Squadron. While cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft was struck by lightning. Few seconds later, an engine failed and the pilot attempted an emergency landing in an open field. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all six occupants were rescued.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing after being struck by lighting.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford in Hebden Bridge: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1936 at 1315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford

Operator:

Registration:

K6900

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Belfast – Finningley

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A group of seven Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford departed Belfast-Aldergrove Airport at 1045LT on a formation flight to RAF Finningley. Upon departure, weather conditions were excellent. After crossing the Irish Sea and flying over Barrow-in-Furness, the crew encountered clouds and severe icing conditions. Unable to maintain the altitude, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane struck a wall before crashing onto moorland on an old rifle range on Wadsworth Moor, near Hebden Bridge. A crew member was seriously injured and three others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Victor Charles Otter, pilot,
Sgt Douglas George Church, navigator, †
LAC Percival George Clements, fitter, †
AC2 Claud Vincent Bodenham, wireless operator. †

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60X Moth in Bramham

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1936

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

York County Aviation Club

Registration:

G-EBXS

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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MSN:

593

YOM:

1928

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En route, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing in Bramham, northeast of Leeds. Both occupants were unhurt and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60X Moth in Yeadon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1936

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Registration:

G-AAPC

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Yeadon - Yeadon

MSN:

1166

YOM:

1930

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The single engine airplane departed Yeadon Aerodrome on a local flight, carrying one passenger and one pilot. On final approach, the airplane was too low, impacted a telephone line and crashed. The pilot Reginald Ernest Morris was injured and the passenger Mary Clarke was killed.

Crash of an Avro 504K in Brighouse

Date & Time: May 3, 1924

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Northern Aviation

Registration:

G-EAZW

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

H2295

YOM:

1922

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The single engine airplane departed Barton on a taxi flight with one passenger and one pilot on board. The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Brighouse and was damaged beyond repair. Both occupants were rescued.