Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment - A&AEE | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew departed RAF Boscombe Down on a test flight. En route, the starboard engine failed, forcing the crew to feather the propeller. At an altitude of 500 feet, the crew initiated a right turn when the right wing dropped. The airplane entered a stall and crashed in a field. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Walker Caston, pilot,
P/O John Cobean Fisher, navigator,
F/Sgt David Lewis Mullins, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine and subsequent stall while the airplane was close to stall speed.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Bristol: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L4893

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Boscombe Down - Bristol

MSN:

8908

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

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Captain / Total flying hours:

1750

Circumstances:

The pilot departed RAF Boscombe Down on a solo ferry flight to Bristol-Filton Airport. On final approach, the airplane stalled and crashed, killing the pilot P/O George Edward Stansbury.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Petersfield

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8862

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Boscombe Down - Boscombe Down

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Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Boscombe Down on a local test flight. En route, he encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed near Petersfield and was damaged beyond repair. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/Lt C. W. K. Nicholls,
S/Ldr A. E. Groom.
Sources:

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Ordford Ness

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1201

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Martlesham Heath - Martlesham Heath

MSN:

8484

YOM:

1938

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Circumstances:

The crew was forced to make an emergency landing when the aircraft belly landed in Ordford Ness. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Vickers 271 Wellington at RAF Martlesham Heath: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 271 Wellington

Operator:

Registration:

K4049

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Martlesham Heath - Martlesham Heath

MSN:

YOM:

1936

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a test flight on this first prototype (271 model). Shortly after takeoff from RAF Martlesham Heath, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed past the runway end. A pilot was killed while the second one was seriously injured.
Crew:
F/Lt Maurice Hare,
AC1 George Peter Smurthwaite. †

Probable cause:

The cause of the crash was attributed to elevator overbalance in a high speed dive, which resulted in inversion and structural failure.

Crash of a Bristol Type 25 Braemar II in Martlesham Heath: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1921

Type of aircraft:

Bristol Type 25 Braemar II

Operator:

Registration:

C4297

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Martlesham Heath - Martlesham Heath

MSN:

3752

YOM:

1919

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local test flight out from Martlesham Heath Aerodrome. During the takeoff roll, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that collided with a hangar and came to rest. Two crew members were killed, one was seriously injured and the fourth escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Flt Lt Oliver Manners Sutton, †
2nd Class Charles J. Sheridan, †
Cpl Cecil Stanley Ellison,
AC2 F. T. Barman.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.10A Amiens IIIA in Hasketon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1921 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.10 Amiens

Operator:

Registration:

F8423

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Martlesham Heath - Martlesham Heath

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, departed RAF Martlesham Heath on a local test flight. En route, while flying at a relative low altitude, the aircraft stalled and entered an uncontrolled descent before crashing in an open field located in Hasketon, Suffolk. The pilot F/o Harold William Gardner was killed.

Probable cause:

The aeroplane stalled after coming out of a left handed spin: there not being sufficient height for the Pilot to get control again. There is no evidence to show why the aeroplane got into a spin. The purpose of the flight was to practice on this type of machine which was new to the pilot.