Date & Time:
Nov 26, 1942 at 0643 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.25 Sunderland
Operator:
Registration:
DD851
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Invergordon - Invergordon
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
11
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in an antisubmarine patrol flight off the British coast on behalf of the fourth Operational Training Unit. Shortly after takeoff from RAF Invergordon, while climbing, the engine number three failed. Few seconds later, it caught fire and fell off, causing severe vibrations. The crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in a huge explosion on a railway road located 3 km northeast of the Invergordon Station. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew (4th OTU):
F/Lt John Alfred Johnson, pilot,
F/O Garth Borland Johnson, pilot,
F/Sgt James Edward Porret, flight engineer,
Sgt Francis William George Cosgrave, flight engineer,
P/O Charles Marland Kendall, navigator,
W/O Clare Kinton, wireless operator,
W/O Fredrick John Peters, wireless operator,
F/L William Fedoruk, wireless operator,
F/O John Hodgson Shand, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Charles Beattie, air gunner,
Sgt Milton Lynn Hill, air gunner.
Crew (4th OTU):
F/Lt John Alfred Johnson, pilot,
F/O Garth Borland Johnson, pilot,
F/Sgt James Edward Porret, flight engineer,
Sgt Francis William George Cosgrave, flight engineer,
P/O Charles Marland Kendall, navigator,
W/O Clare Kinton, wireless operator,
W/O Fredrick John Peters, wireless operator,
F/L William Fedoruk, wireless operator,
F/O John Hodgson Shand, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Charles Beattie, air gunner,
Sgt Milton Lynn Hill, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Failure of a connecting rod on the engine n°3, caused the engine to catch fire and to detach.
