Port Erin

The aircraft was flying the last of six round trips from Speke, Liverpool, to Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, it was scheduled to make during the 27th/28th September. The aircraft had been carrying nearly 1150 gallons of milk on each flight from Northern Ireland back to Liverpool to help make up a shortage being experienced at the time in some areas of the UK. The aircraft left Nutts Corner at 09:30 and had been in contact with Nutts Corner by radio until passing into the Northern Flight Information Region where contact was made with the Northern area controller. This was followed by further contact at 09:59 which ended abruptly mid-sentence with "I am over or abeam I O", both the northern area controller, Ronaldsway and Speke attempted to contact the aircraft with no response. A search for the aircraft was begun immediately and at about 12:30 the commandant of Ronaldway airport located the wreckage of the aircraft. It had struck the very summit of Cronk ny Arrey Laa slid off the summit and landed about 200 yards down hill on the eastern side of the hill where the aircraft broke up killing the crew.
Crew:
John Frederick George Savage, pilot,
Richard Lansdowne Miller, navigator,
Oswald Harold Guppy Hiscock, radio operator,
Albert Harry Noon, flight engineer.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/isleofman/iomg-ajnz.htm

The crew was performing a charter flight from Blackpool to Douglas with an intermediate stop in RAF Walney Island, Cumbria. On approach to the Isle of Man, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and continued to the west to Ireland without locating the Douglas-Ronaldsway Airport. Few minutes later, the pilot realized that the fuel reserve was insufficient and decided to ditch the aircraft into the Irish Sea, off Port Erin. The aircraft came to rest few miles off shore and floated for a while, allowing the occupants to take refuge on the wings, awaiting for help. The crew of a boat rescued all nine occupants shortly later and the aircraft sank and was lost.

The aircraft was on a night navigation exercise from RAF Wigtown in southern Scotland, the aircraft's route was to be from Wigtown to Eggerness Point, Whithorn, Ballyquinton Point, Bardsey Light, Chicken Rock, Port Saint Mary, Ballyquinton Point and return to Wigtown. The first two points were within ten miles of Wigtown Airfield. Ballyquinton Point stands at the mouth of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, Bardsey Light is on Bardsey Island off the Lleyn Peninsular. Chicken Rock is off the southern tip of the Isle of Man. The aircraft had reached the Isle of Man and the crew decided to return directly to Wigtown and set course for there. The court of inquiry concluded that while near Ronaldsway the pilot had climbed from his briefed altitude of 2000ft to 3000ft in order to avoid high ground on the direct route back to Wigtown. This change in altitude took the aircraft into icing conditions, this would have caused ice build up on the aircraft. The presiding officer suggested that when icing was experienced the pilot most likely turned back towards Ronaldsway, to avoid the high ground, while descending out of cloud at the same time. The aircraft was flying south east at the time of the crash and had possibly descended too quickly. The aircraft flew into the north western end of Cronk ny Arrey Laa while in a steep climb, possibly attempting to avoid the hill.
Crew (1st AFU):
F/Sgt Hugh Eugene McDonald, pilot,
F/O Charles Alfred Bardwell, navigator,
P/O John Darlington, air bomber,
F/O Percy Henry Hoyle, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John David Pratt, wireless operator.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/isleofman/iomax177.htm

The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight. En route, the pilot encountered unknown technical problem and attempted to make an emergency landing. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all occupants were unhurt.

The airplane departed RAF Squires Gate on a training exercise. While cruising in low visibility, it impacted a cliff located near the bay of Port Erin. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (3rd SGR):
F/Sgt Leonard Charles Storey, pilot,
Sgt Bernardus Maria,
P/O Leonard Dobson,
AC2 William James Sydney J. Heap, wireless operator,
P/O John Albert Williams, wireless operator.