Zone

Crash of a Cessna T303 Crusader off Aldeburgh

Date & Time: Sep 19, 2006 at 1328 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-IAFC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Braunschweig – Oxford
MSN:
303-00244
YOM:
1983
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
24000
Captain / Total hours on type:
6000.00
Circumstances:
Whilst on a cargo flight from Braunschweig, Germany, to Oxford, England, when approximately 30 nm from the English coast, the right engine started to run roughly. On checking the fuel gauges, the pilot observed that they were indicating in the ‘red sector’. The right engine subsequently stopped, shortly followed by the left engine. The aircraft then glided from FL100 towards the Suffolk coast and ditched in the sea approximately 9.5 nm southeast of Aldeburgh. The pilot was able to abandon the aircraft, which sank quickly. He was rescued from the sea some 18 minutes later by a Royal Air Force Search and Rescue helicopter and taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered a fractured a vertebra. The investigation determined that the aircraft had run out of fuel, due to insufficient fuel for the intended journey being on-board the aircraft at the start of the flight.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred as a result of the aircraft running out of fuel approximately 160 nm short of its destination. Although the wreckage of the aircraft was not recovered, all the evidence suggests that this occurred due to insufficient fuel being on-board the aircraft prior to departure, rather than because of a technical problem. The pilot’s lack of awareness of the fuel quantity and the actual weight of the cargo on board D-IAFC prior to takeoff, are considered to have been significant causal factors in the accident. A contributory factor was that the pilot did not monitor the reportedly ‘unreliable’ fuel gauges, thus missing a chance to notice the aircraft’s low fuel state and divert to a suitable airfield before the situation became critical.
Final Report:

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 off Aldeburgh: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1940 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A1+?M
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lille - Lille
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Lille to attack convoys off Kent when it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz R. Franke, pilot,
Fw G. Freitag, observer,
Uffz A. Dombrowski, radio operator,
Fw P. Krink, mechanic,
Gf. W. Ledl, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.6 in Aldeburgh: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1919
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C6861
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Aldeburgh - Aldeburgh
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Aldeburgh. At a height of about 300 feet, the single engine airplane collided with a second RAF DH.6 registered C7829 and also carrying two pilots. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the airfield. Both pilots on board C7829 were killed while both pilots on board C6861 were seriously injured. One of them died two days later.
Crew (1st MOS):
Lt A. G. Wyatt, †
Sgt L. D. Adock.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.6 in Aldeburgh: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1919
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C7829
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Aldeburgh - Aldeburgh
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Aldeburgh. At a height of about 300 feet, the single engine airplane collided with a second RAF DH.6 registered C6861 and also carrying two pilots. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the airfield. Both pilots on board C7829 were killed while both pilots on board C6861 were seriously injured. One of them died two days later.
Crew (1st MOS):
Lt Cyril Victor Clarence Wright,
Lt Edward William Sydney Jacobi.