Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I on Mt Tal-y-Fan: 5 killed
Date & Time:
Aug 23, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
L6318
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Squires Gate - Squires Gate
MSN:
7870/15
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Squires Gate on a navigation exercise. En route, the twin engine airplane entered a cloudy area when it impacted the northeast slope of Mt Tal-y-Fan located 3 km northwest of Rowen. The wreckage and all five dead bodies were found a day later.
Crew (3rd School of General Reconnaissance):
W/O Herford Linton Pendal, pilot,
Sgt Robert Wilmore Patrick, navigator,
Sgt John Bernard Wood, navigator,
AC1 Ronald Ibbetson, wireless operator,
AC1 Andrew Smyth, wireless operator.
Crew (3rd School of General Reconnaissance):
W/O Herford Linton Pendal, pilot,
Sgt Robert Wilmore Patrick, navigator,
Sgt John Bernard Wood, navigator,
AC1 Ronald Ibbetson, wireless operator,
AC1 Andrew Smyth, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
