Yorkshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

On final approach, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane collided with a fence, causing the undercarriage to be torn off. The airplane landed on its belly and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All five crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (77th Squadron):
Sgt James Walter Ward, pilot,
AC1 M. J. Hood,
AC1 D. P. Starbuck,
AC1 F. N. Sheppard +1.

Probable cause:

Too low approach.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-4 off Middlesbrough

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+FS

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Stavanger - Stavanger

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While approaching the British coast, the aircraft was shot down by an RAF Spitfire and crashed into the sea, some 30 miles east of Middlesbrough. All five crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew (8. Staffel III/KG 26):
Fw Fritz Baldauf, pilot,
Lt Adolf Renner, observer,
Ogfr Wilhelm Rössinger, wireless operator,
Gefr Walter Lorenz, mechanic,
Uffz Christoph Schumann, gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A near Bridlington

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

4D+KL

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The airplane was engaged in a raid over RAF Driffield. It was shot down by a British fighter and crashed near Bridlington. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Uffz Ludwig von Lorentz, pilot,
Uffz Heinrich Kenski, observer,
Gfr Johann Göbel, air gunner,
Uffz Heinrich Prumann, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A near Bridlington: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

4D+DR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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The airplane was engaged in a raid over RAF Driffield. It was shot down by a British fighter and crashed 4 miles north of Bridlington. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Oblt Werner Bachmann, pilot,
Uffz Werner Evers, observer,
Flgr Robert Walther, air gunner,
Fw Georg Henneske, wireless operator. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I Bridlington: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 5, 1940 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P4357

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on an air firing practice exercice on the Skipsea range when it suffered an engine failure and crashed into the sea off Bridlington. A crew was killed and two other occupants were injured.
Crew:
Sgt H. S. Blakeman, pilot,
Sgt J. L. Shardlow, air gunner,
Sgt George Hugh McCrory, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 into the Tees: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

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While on a reconnaissance flight, the aircraft collided with a balloon barrage cable and crashed in the mouth of the River Tees. All four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

In-flight collision with a balloon barrage cable.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Guisborough: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N5067

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Thornaby - Thornaby

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While on a connection flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The pilot did not realize he was flying too low when the aircraft hit telephone wires, stalled and crashed onto a hill, bursting into flames. All crew were seriously injured and the captain died three days later from injuries sustained.
Crew (608th Squadron):
Sgt Leslie Bertram Walpole, †
P/O B. Duncan,
Sgt O. Shepherd,
AC1 George Edward Lumley.

Probable cause:

Poor judgment on part of the crew.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Leconfield

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1206

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Leconfield - Leconfield

MSN:

8489

YOM:

1938

Location:

Leconfield AFB (Beverley)

Yorkshire

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll from RAF Leconfield, the undercarriage were damaged for unknown reasons and jammed. When the exercice was finished and the crew was returning to his base, he was unable to lower the gear and completed a belly landing. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Belly landing because the undercarriage was jammed.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley III at RAF Leconfield: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

K9002

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Leconfield - Leconfield

MSN:

1455

YOM:

1939

Location:

Leconfield AFB (Beverley)

Yorkshire

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

After takeoff from RAF Leconfield, the crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Too low, the airplane impacted trees and crashed near Beverley, south of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
crew:
P/O Joseph Murray Brockbank,
P/O George Buchanan Baker,
Sgt Philip Mealing.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Borrowby

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K6280

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tangmere - Tangmere

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was forced to make an emergency landing while cruising in poor weather conditions. The aircraft crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. The crew escaped uninjured.