Aisne | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The single engine aircraft was engaged in a local skydiving flight on behalf of the CERP of Picardie. After takeoff from runway 35, while climbing to a height of about 1,000 feet, the aircraft rolled to the right, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a swampy area located about 1,500 metres east of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of a loss of pitch control of the aircraft following the appearance of extreme forces on the elevator control caused by placing the stabilizer in the full nose down position depth. The actions of the pilot on the flight controls led to this situation of aerodynamic locking of the elevator stabilizer control, presumably interpreted as a mechanical blockage of the system. This phenomenon, specific to airplanes equipped with such a stabilizer system depth and linked to the importance of the forces involved, was it not known to the pilot. The training on PC-6/B2-H4 that the pilot had followed as well as his weak experience on PC-6/B2-H2, associated with the ergonomics of the manual flaps and stabilizer, are contributing factors.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove in Cugny: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1959

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

OO-DAL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

04011

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While completing a training flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the airplane struck a high tension pylon and crashed in flames in a field located in Cugny. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots, an instructor (Joannes Asperslag) and a student pilot (Yves Delabyand) were killed.

Probable cause:

Pilot error.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando in Taillefontaine: 44 killed

Date & Time: May 23, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

44-77507

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

32903

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way to Paris with 40 US and German wounded and unnamed soldiers on board. Enroute, an engine caught fire and exploded. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field near the village of Taillefontaine. All 44 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Rex L. Pond,
1st Lt Claude H. Weid,
Sgt Edward Vermillion,
Sgt Edward Hill.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman in Laon

Date & Time: May 14, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Noorduyn Norseman

Operator:

Registration:

43-35361

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

435

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on takeoff for unknown reason. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair while the pilot, Robert W. Haskell, was unhurt.

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:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Oakington - Oakington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Pontavert: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

R5484

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wyton - Wyton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2117LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Pontavert. The pilot was killed and six other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Glen Alexander McNichol, pilot, †
W/O George Christopher Mott, flight engineer,
F/O Henry Harold Beaupre, navigator,
F/O Thomas William Lewis, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt George Stanley MacFarlane, wireless operator,
Sgt Henry Richard Willis, air gunner,
F/Sgt Charles Erskine Hobbs, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Lesquielles-Saint-Germain: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0437 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

BB343

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

Location:

Lesquielles-Saint-Germain

Aisne

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2057LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Lesquielles-Saint-Germain, 26 km northeast of Saint-Quentin. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Joseph Jacques Alfred Guay, pilot,
Sgt Harold Walter Fill, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Lloyd George Haines, navigator,
F/Sgt Francois Rolland Pilon, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Harry Winter, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Irving MacDonald, air gunner,
Sgt Anthony Patrick Gielty, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Vesles-et-Caumont: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0338 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

DT575

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2049LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Vesles-et-Caumont, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Brian Walter Edward Wedderburn, pilot,
Sgt John Strachan, flight engineer,
Sgt Brodie John Clinging, navigator,
F/Sgt Francis Owen Ross, bomb aimer,
Sgt Francis Christopher Fidgeon, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard Norman Jonasson, air gunner,
Sgt Stephen Hugh Colin Brown, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Septmonts: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0213 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK162

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

East Moor - East Moor

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF East Moor at 2123LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Septmonts. Five crew members were killed and one evaded.
Crew:
S/L Frederick Arthur Holmes, pilot, †
Sgt J. R. Milne,
F/O John McMaster, navigator, †
F/Sgt Douglas Samuel Ritchie, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt George Gill, wireless operator, †
F/Lt Gerald Alfred Lunn, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Commenchon

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0212 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

BK725

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ridgewell - Ridgewell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Ridgewell at 2200LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Commenchon. All seven crew members parachuted to safety, six evaded and the pilot became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Peter Dunk White, pilot,
Sgt Wallace E. Phillips, pilot,
Sgt A. Smith, flight engineer,
P/O Stanley Ford Everiss, navigator,
P/O Donald Graham Ross, bomb aimer,
Sgt Reginald George Gaisford, wireless operator,
Sgt John B. Ford, air gunner,
Sgt W. J. Fitzgerald, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Subscribe to Aisne