Date & Time:
May 12, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
EB717
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wheaton Aston - Wheaton Aston
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
During the early hours the 12th May 1943, the pilot took off for a night cross country flight from Wheaton Aston to the south west of Stafford. His route was to have been Wheaton Aston - Shawbury - Condover - Wheaton Aston, this triangular route was a distance of just over 50 miles. At some point, the pilot became disorientated, whether he missed one of his waypoints or saw one of the other airfields in the area is unknown, and ended up flying North East. As the sun was coming into view the aircraft was seen circling over Buxton, shortly afterwards the aircraft flew west into low cloud and struck a dry stone wall which runs the length of Burbage Edge. The stone wall destroyed the forward end of the aircraft killing the lone occupant, the aircraft broke up as it traveled across the moor land for another 30 to 40 yards.
Crew (11th AFU):
Sgt John Henry Langley Wilson.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricteb717.htm
Crew (11th AFU):
Sgt John Henry Langley Wilson.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricteb717.htm
Probable cause:
The Investigating Officer from No.21 Group concluded that the pilot had set the wrong course on his final leg from Condover back to Wheaton Aston.
