Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Middleton Saint George: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC430
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
During an airshow in RAF Middleton Saint George, the crew was involved in a demonstration mission consisting of para-dropping a low height. On final approach, during the last segment, the airplane nosed down and crashed at runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the technique adopted by the crew to drop the paratroopers was wrong. After the lateral door was closed, it appears that the air flow along the rudder and the elevator changed due to the presence of the paratroopers. This caused the aircraft to adopt a wrong attitude and the response from the crew was inappropriate.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Swinderby: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NB115
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training sortie. On final approach, the pilot in command decided to abort and started a go around. He completed a circuit vertical to the terrain and then started a second approach to land. Again, he abandoned this second approach and a third as well few minutes later. During the third go around maneuver, while at a height of 600 feet, the pilot made a turn to the left to join the approach path but did not realize he lost altitude. By night and low visibility, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located 1,5 mile from the airfield. Two crew members were killed while the copilot was seriously injured. It is reported that the crew apparently tried to maintain a visual contact with the ground and did not refer to their instruments at the time of accident.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Hullavington

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PG265
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On landing, the aircraft went out of control, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Finningley

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PF943
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Finningley - Finningley
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training sortie in RAF Finningley. Upon landing, the aircraft swung on runway, went out of control and came to rest. All crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP504
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Left its base at 0930LT for a training mission over the North Sea. At 1435LT, the crew informed ground about his position and that he was flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet some 192 km from his departure point. Few minutes later, the aircraft crashed into the sea in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Topcliffe: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1948 at 0947 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP565
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training sortie at RAF Topcliffe. While approaching the airbase at a height of some 300 feet, the aircraft collided with a second Vickers 619 Wellington X. Registered RP499, it was carrying another crew of four and just took off from RAF Topcliffe. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field near the airport. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Franciszek Kula, pilot,
Colin Bass, pilot,
Sig Walter Ernest Leslie Howell,
Sig Arthur Edward Highman,
F/Lt William James Jones,
F/Lt Robert Sneddon Laird,
F/Lt Harry Corelius New,
F/Lt John Edge Kerslake.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Topcliffe: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1948 at 0947 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP499
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training sortie at RAF Topcliffe. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing at a height of some 300 feet, the aircraft collided with a second Vickers 619 Wellington X. Registered RP565, it was carrying another crew of four, was also completing a training flight and was attempting to land. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field near the airport. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Franciszek Kula, pilot,
Colin Bass, pilot,
Sig Walter Ernest Leslie Howell,
Sig Arthur Edward Highman,
F/Lt William James Jones,
F/Lt Robert Sneddon Laird,
F/Lt Harry Corelius New,
F/Lt John Edge Kerslake.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Swinderby: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LR134
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training sortie in RAF Swinderby. On final approach, while at an insufficient altitude, the aircraft hit the ground at a relative high speed and crashed one mile short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It is reported that the crew neglected the radio communications procedures and the assigned track for an approach to RAF Swinderby.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in RAF Topcliffe: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1948 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP555
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from RAF Topcliffe in the mid-afternoon so the pilot could train on instrument flying. Also on board was a second pilot who was acting as an instructor, a radio operator and a passenger. The purpose of the latter was so that he could carry out radar tests during the flight. The aircraft took off in the gusty conditions with the pilot having to use both hands to maintain lateral control, the aircraft climbed normally to 400 feet but after which the nose rose sharply. The pilot pushed the control column forward to try and make the aircraft return to level but this had no effect, full power was applied but the aircraft continued to climb at this rate until it was at about 1000 feet. The speed of it had now dropped to 80 knots so the pilot ordered the crew to bale out before it stalled. Only the second pilot was able to get out before the nose sank and the aircraft entered a dive from which it could not be recovered from. The survivor sustained slight injuries after being dragged by his parachute when on the ground after it caught in the strong wind. The other three had no chance to get out before it crashed and were sadly killed in the crash at 1500LT.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/rp555.html
Probable cause:
The resulting investigation found that the aircraft had been stored outside in a strong wind without any control locks been installed. The strong wind had, over time, effected the elevator control cable and it was thought that it had become disconnected. Whilst it appeared to operate normally when the control column was moved it had no effect on the elevators.

Crash of a Vickers 619 Wellington X off Birchington-on-Sea: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RP500
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training sortie over the North Sea when the right engine failed in flight. The captain reduced his altitude and elected to return to Manston for an emergency landing. While descending to an altitude of 800 feet and while flying across the last cloud layer, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea, few miles off Birchington-on-Sea. A crew member was killed while three others were rescued.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine.