Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Oakington

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Varsity
Operator:
Registration:
WJ895
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
MSN:
619
YOM:
1952
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing training manoeuvres in the vicinity of RAF Oakington, the twin engine airplane collided with a private Cessna 150 registered G-ATKF. The pilot of the Cessna was able to perform an emergency landing as well as the crew of the Varsity who landed at RAF Oakington. Nevertheless, the aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Oakington: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Varsity
Operator:
Registration:
WJ914
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wyton - Oakington
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The Viking was performing a flight from RAF Wyton with five crew members and a high ranking officer on board. On approach to RAF Oakington, at an altitude of 1,500 feet, the airplane collided with a RAF De Havilland DH.100 Vampire T.11 registered XD549 that just took off from RAF Oakington for a local training mission with two pilots on board. After the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located 4 miles southwest of the airbase. All eight occupants in both aircraft were killed. It is believed that both crew were responsible as they failed to pay sufficient attention to potential traffic.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in RAF Oakington: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW224
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
MSN:
MW224
YOM:
1946
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at RAF Oakington and was due to complete an approach with the engine number one voluntarily off, followed by a go around procedure. While flying over the airfield at an altitude of some 150 feet, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (242nd Squadron):
F/Lt Douglas S. Cameron,
F/Lt Basil C. Hanson,
F/Lt John D. Hughes,
2nd Cl Raymond B. Hollis,
F/O George H. Salt.
Probable cause:
It was determined that, when the crew attempted to go around, he failed to increase power on all three remaining engines number two, three and four. In the mean time, the crew prematurely retracted the trailing edge flaps. The combination of a premature flap retraction and an insufficient engine power caused the aircraft to stall. Due to an insufficient distance between the aircraft and the ground, a recovery was not possible.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in RAF Oakington

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW247
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
MSN:
MW247
YOM:
1946
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a training sortie in RAF Oakington, the aircraft belly landed and slid for several yards before coming to rest. All four crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to follow the approach and landing check-list, so he forgot to lower the undercarriage, causing the aircraft to land on its belly.

Crash of an Avro 685 York I in RAF Oakington

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
MW228
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
MW228
YOM:
1946
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On touchdown, an undercarriage collapse. The aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It appears that, for undetermined reason, the undercarriage were partially deployed and not locked upon landing.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Maizy: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1944 at 2332 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ND592
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Maizy
Aisne
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Oakington at 2124LT to attack the railway network at Laon, France. After dropping the bombs by night, the aircraft was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a field located in Maizy. All seven crew members were killed. Claim by Uffz Konrad Beyer 1/NJG4 at an altitude of 2,800 meters.
Crew (7th Squadron):
P/O Percy Aslett, pilot,
F/S James Wilfred Bott, flight engineer,
P/O Hugh Boyd Cooper, navigator,
F/S Thomas Horton, air bomber,
F/S Laurence Alfred Scott, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Francis William Ingham, air gunner,
P/O Leon Francis George Noakes, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III at RAF Oakington: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1943 at 0435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EE886
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Mepal - Mepal
Location:
Oakington
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mepal at 0110LT on an operation to Aachen. On return the crew landed at 0435LT at RAF Oakington, but a flat tyre caused the undercarriage to collapse and before coming to a halt the Stirling overturned. Seven crew members were injured and an air gunner was killed.
Crew (75 Sq):
F/O Charles Eddy, pilot,
Sgt Phillip Hartstein, pilot,
Sgt H. Waring, flight engineer,
P/O Arthur Wilfred Lane, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Homer Cecil Hurt, navigator,
Sgt H. Burgeois, wireless operator,
Sgt Eric Clifford Viccars, air gunner, †
F/Sgt H. D. Lucas, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Loss of control on landing after an undercarriage collapsed due to a flat tyre.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Ostend: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1943 at 0302 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9281
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2334LT on June 24 on an operation to Wuppertal. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea 15 km west of Ostend. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Arthur Joseph Davis, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey Thompson, flight engineer,
Sgt Frederick Fazackerley, navigator,
Sgt Anthony Robert John Hunt, wireless operator,
Sgt Stanley Charles Carter, air gunner,
F/O John Filmer Hanrahan, air gunner,
Sgt Henry Raymond Glover, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III off Katwijk aan Zee: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1943 at 0250 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF392
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Katwijk aan Zee
South Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2328LT on June 24 on an operation to Wuppertal. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 80 km west of Katwijk aan Zee. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L John Ronald Savage, pilot,
P/O Frederick John Haines, copilot,
F/Sgt Godfrey Hippesley Cox, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Sidney James Barnes, navigator,
Sgt Sydney Arthur Errington, bomb aimer,
Sgt Arthur Ashton Caley, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Norman Robert Morrison, air gunner,
Sgt Derek Richard Spanton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Rilland: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1943 at 0025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED595
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Rilland
Zeeland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2321LT on June 24 on an operation to Wuppertal. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rilland. Three crew members were killed, one evaded and three became PoW.
Crew:
W/Cdr Robert George Barrell, pilot, †
P/O Harold John Hudson, flight engineer,
F/Lt Frederick Hilton, navigator, †
F/Lt Joseph Arthur Emery, bomb aimer,
P/O Sydney George Keatley, wireless operator,
W/O James Alexander Pearson, air gunner,
W/O Edward George Jimmie Pointer, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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