Mt Cross Fell | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route from RAF Kinloss to RAF Kirkbride and while flying over the Pennines Mountain Range, east of Penrith, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with icing. He decided to modify his route, passing via the Alston valley. Few minutes later, while cruising in limited visibility, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of Mt Cross Fell then slid for few dozen meters and came to rest. All five crew members were injured.
Crew (4th AOS):
Sgt Victor Henry Hill, pilot,
Sgt W. C. A. Hughes,
Lac L. V. Fussell,
Lac A. D. Walker,
Lac J. Henbury.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I on Mt Cross Fell: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1942 at 0030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

N7325

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Silloth - Silloth

MSN:

414-1721

YOM:

1940

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Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Silloth in the evening of September 5 on a night training exercise. After completing a flight over Northern Ireland, he was returning to base in the middle of the night. On the return leg, the crew encountered poor visibility due to low clouds. The twin engine airplane went off track to the east by 60 km when it impacted the slope of Mt Cross Fell located 17,5 km northeast of Penrith. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (1st OTU):
P/O Paul Arthur Bourke, pilot,
Sgt John Bumpstead, navigator,
Sgt Robert Band, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Leslie Thomas Griffin, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Richard William Hewitt, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Because of the lack of contact it was assumed by the investigating officer that the aircraft's radio equipment had failed, leaving the crew with only dead reckoning as a means of navigating. Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth on Mt Cross Fell: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1936

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Lawrence Aircraft Hire

Registration:

G-AARE

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

West Malling - Kingsdown

MSN:

1176

YOM:

1930

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Circumstances:

The pilot Archibald J. Moffat was travelling from West Malling to Kingsdown, in the region of Carlisle. En route, he encountered low visibility due to poor weather conditions when the single engine aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Cross Fell, the highest mountain of the Pennines with 893 metres. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.