Ireland | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following a maritime patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean, the crew was returning to his base in RAF Castle Archdale. In early morning, while flying over Munster province in marginal weather conditions and low visibility, the seaplane hit the Brandon Peak and crashed. Eight crew members were killed while three others were wounded.
Crew (422nd Squadron):
F/O Guy Nelson Wilkinson, pilot 10.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III near Brandon: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 28, 1943 at 0520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGES

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Lagos – Lisbon – Foynes

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

By night, the crew overflew the Shannon estuary and continued to the north at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Forty-five minutes later, the captain disengaged the automatic pilot system and started the descent manually. After passing through the last cloud layer, the crew distinguished the ground but did not realized that his altitude was to low. The seaplane hit the slope of Mt Brandon with its right wing, stalled and crashed in flames southwest of Brandon village. Fifteen occupants were injured while ten others were killed, among them the captain.
Crew:
Thomas Allitt, pilot, †
John Harrop Slater, copilot,
Eric William Vincent, navigator,
Charles Harry P. Phillips, radio operator,
Frederick Thomas James Parr, radio operator,
Victor Rawlinson, flight engineer,
Ralph Bousquet Lawes, flight engineer.
Passengers:
David William Stannard, †
John Diarmuid Hartigan, †
Arthur Friedrich Rawson Lumby, †
William Sacheverell Hebden,
Lewis Milner, †
Sidney Leonard Pullinger, †
Ian Kenneth Thom, †
Harold Tristram, †
Thomas Watson Thomson,
Kenneth Joseph Devall, †
Leonard King,
Victor Francis Edward Simmons,
Oliver Frith,
Alfred Brooker Depree,
Max Albert Roth, †
Lloyd Gilbert French,
Roy Elliott Bertram,
Raymond François Larche.
Source: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/gages.pdf

Probable cause:

Navigation for the flight west from Foynes was by compass and loop bearing on the ground radio station and there was no request from the aircraft for QTE bearings to be transmitted from the radio station. If it is assumed that the aircraft's loop bearing on the radio station was free from error, the alteration in the aircraft's track should have been immediately apparent by a change in the compass course. Alternatively, if the course remained constant the alteration in track should have been indicated by a change in the loop bearing. The departure from the required track was not discovered by the crew and the reason for this is not conclusively evident. Radio direction-finding apparatus of the type used on the aircraft is subject to error around sunset and sunrise. The presence of this error, known as “Night Effect” cannot always be detected, even by experienced radio operators. The probable final cause of the accident was “Night Effect” which affected the accuracy of the direction-finding apparatus on the aircraft. The contributory causes of the accident may be summarized as follows:
- A strong south-westerly wind which resulted in the aircraft's arriving at Shannon Airport thirty minutes before its scheduled time of arrival;
- A change in wind direction from S.W. To N.W. in the Shannon area around the actual time of arrival;
- The pilots error in technique in relying entirely on the aircraft's loop bearings for radio assistance to the exclusion of direction signals from the ground station.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.91 Albatross in Shannon

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1943

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.91 Albatross

Operator:

Registration:

G-AFDK

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bristol – Shannon

MSN:

6804

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On touchdown at Shannon-Rinneanna Airport, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. While all 14 occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Geoffrey Palliser Moss, pilot,
D. M. Revell, radio operator,
C. Caseley, flight engineer,
R. Gilmour,
A. H. Wigmore.
Passengers:
Neil Richardson,
Simon Marks,
Pauline Gower,
Gerard d'Erlanger,
John Marchbank,
David Smillie Smith MacDowall,
Grahame Temple Meller,
Keith Granville,
Piers John Barnes Wimbush.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III off Clare Island: 11 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1943 at 0405 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

DD846

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lough Erne - Lough Erne

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful maritime patrol mission over the Atlantic, the aircraft and its crew were returning to their base in RAF Lough Erne in early morning. While approaching the Irish coast from the west, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Clare Island, west of Wesport. All 11 crew members were killed.
Crew (422nd Squadron):
F/O Ernest F. Paige, pilot,
F/O James W. Clarke, pilot,
Sgt William G. Hopps, pilot,
W/O Wallace Roy Thompson, navigator,
Sgt James Hird, flight engineer,
Sgt Donahan A. O’Dowd, flight engineer,
Sgt John Rowe, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt David Purvis, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Derek H. Richardson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Sherwood,wireless operator and air gunner,
W/O Robert B. Bryers, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Ballybane

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1943 at 0215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3563

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on February 28 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it strayed west of track and following several radio transmissions, the crew abandoned the airplane that crashed in a ploughed field near Ballybane. All six crew members parachuted to safety and were interned.
Crew:
Sgt L. G. Southwood, pilot,
Sgt M. B. Summers,
F/Sgt J. C. Grover,
F/Sgt A. W. Puffer,
Sgt J. H. Blue,
Sgt W. W. N. Chalk, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 429 Wellington VIII near Falcarragh: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1943 at 0915 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 429 Wellington VIII

Operator:

Registration:

HX737

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Limavady - Limavady

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Limavady in the early morning on a cross country navigation exercise. In unclear circumstances, it crashed in a field located near Falcarragh and was destroyed. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Ashby Court, pilot,
Sgt John Steen Campbell, navigator,
Sgt Geoffrey James Scott Farthing, wireless operator,
Sgt James Gilmore, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald William Gutteridge, wireless operator,
Sgt John D'arcy Wall.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Waterford

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1943 at 0110 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

Z1676

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1827LT on February 16 an operation to Lorient. Over the target area, it was hit by the German Flak which destroyed all navigational aids. The crew was able to leave the combat area and crash landed the airplane at 0110LT in Kilbarry, in the south suburb of Waterford, Ireland. All five crew members were interned.
Crew:
Sgt J. E. Holloway, pilot,
Sgt D. E. M. Ross,
Sgt D. H. Taylor,
Sgt G. C. Slater,
Sgt F. Thomas, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator IIIA off Donegal: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1942 at 1515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

LV341

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Ballykelly - Ballykelly

MSN:

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Ballykelly at 0533LT on a maritime patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean. After the German U-boat U-256 was attacked and sank to a depth of 110 metres, the crew was requested to take part to a SAR operation for a troopship reported to have been torpedoed. At 1220LT, the crew informed ground that he was returning to base with an ETA at 1627LT. At 1515LT, all four engine lost power, the aircraft lost height and was ditched off the Irish coast. While the aircraft sank and was lost, four crew members were rescued while four others were killed.
Crew:
P/O Victor Dennis James, pilot, †
Sgt Hector Vivian Frances Archer, copilot,
F/Sgt Alfred Burton Craig, navigator, †
Sgt Seymour Clare, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Kenneth Henry Watson, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Peter Francis George, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Charles Gordon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Fredrick Norman Hollies, wireless operator and air gunner.

Sincere thanks to Peter Clare, son of Sgt Seymour Clare, for his testimony and contribution. All texts below by Peter Clare:
http://www.ww2irishaviation.com/lv341.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/98/a2600498.shtml

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30 Liberator II on Mt Slievenaglogh: 15 killed

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1942 at 0745 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated LB-30 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

AL577

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

075

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Fayid Airport in Egypt on a liaison flight, carrying 19 crew members. In the early morning, while approaching Dundalk, it impacted the slope of Mt Slievenaglogh and disintegrated. Fourteen crew members were killed and five others were injured. Three days later, one of the survivors died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
W/Cdr Richard John Wells, pilot, †
P/O John Peile Tolson, pilot, †
P/O Wilfred Bertrand Stephens, pilot, †
F/Sgt George Buchanan, pilot, †
Sgt Paul Herrick Morey, observer, †
F/Sgt Carlton Stokes Goodenough, observer, †
F/Sgt Leslie George Jordan, observer, †
P/O George Frederick King, observer, †
Sgt Henry James Gibbons, wireless operator, †
Sgt Charles Joseph Ingram, wireless operator, †
Sgt Walter Paul Brooks, wireless operator, †
F/Lt Francis Charles Barrett, air gunner, †
F/O James Robert Anderson,
Sgt Cyril Rowland Amos,
F/Sgt Lindsay Ross Williams, †
Sgt Thomas Edward Pattison,
Sgt Sydney Frederick Hayden,
Sgt Andrew McMillan Smith Brownlie, †
F/Sgt Herbert William Thornley Sloman. †

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Donegal: 12 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

W3977

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Enniskillen - Enniskillen

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The floatplane departed Enniskillen on a maritime patrol flight. In unknown circumstances, it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Donegal. The wreckage was found but no trace of the 12 crew members.
Crew (201st Squadron):
F/Lt Francis Wilfred Smith,
P/O John Percival Bartlett,
F/O Rodney Wyben Smith,
F/O Henry Kitchin,
F/Sgt Harold Stanislaus Mason,
F/Sgt Norman Clare,
F/Sgt John Frederick Charles Smith,
Sgt Arnold Alfred Rolfe,
Sgt Hugh Jones,
Sgt Kenneth Charles Nutt,
Sgt Gordon Walter Eric Jacobson,
LAC Eric Hopkinson.

Subscribe to Ireland