Crash of a Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita at Kelly AFB: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita
Operator:
Registration:
41-9434
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kelly AFB - Kelly AFB
MSN:
860
YOM:
1942
Location:
Kelly AFB (ex Brooks Field, San Antonio)
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at Kelly AFB when the twin engine airplane crashed for unknown reasons. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Avc James A. Brown,
Pfc Dewey C. Brown Jr.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA near Kupang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
A16-243
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Darwin – Kupang
MSN:
414-6496
YOM:
1942
Location:
Kupang
East Nusa Tenggara
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Missing in the region of Kupang, Indonesia, while performing a survey flight from Darwin to Kupang. SAR operations failed to find any trace of the aircraft nor its crew.
Crew (13th Squadron):
P/O J. E. Alcock,
F/O G. V. Boynton,
F/O P. C. Gunson,
Sgt F. P. Kemp,
Sgt W. S. Powell.

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

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942 at 2110 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ964
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wickenby - Wickenby
Location:
Bergen
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wickenby at 1823LT on a mine laying operation in the Trefoil region. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Bergen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt George William Arthur Mitchell, pilot,
Sgt Harold James Kendrick, observer,
P/O Laurence James Alexander Graham, navigator,
F/Sgt Raymond Lloyd Wakelin, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Sam Feinstein, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Abu Qir: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942 at 0620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.25 Sunderland
Operator:
Registration:
T9050
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Abu Qir - Abu Qir
Location:
Abukir (Abū Qīr)
Alexandria
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The seaplane departed the Abu Qir seaplane base at 0545LT on a maritime patrol flight over the Mediterranean Sea. About 35 minutes into the flight, the engine n°1 failed. The captain decided to stall the aircraft that broke its back while hitting the water surface. Three crew members were killed while nine others were rescued. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (230th Squadron):
F/O R. J. Murphy, pilot,
P/O R. C. Scott, pilot,
F/O T. W. Sanderson, pilot,
P/O A. H. Matthews, navigator,
F/Sgt J. Harkins, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth Charles Carlsson, wireless operator, †
Sgt James Adam, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. Groleau, air gunner,
Sgt Gordon Alexander Lindsay, air gunner, †
Sgt D. Hall, flight engineer,
LAC D. McLean, fitter,
LAC N. Kelly, rigger.
Source by Alan Storr:
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RC09125_007--1-.pdf
Probable cause:
The aircraft was forced to return from patrol owing to failure of the port outer engine. There was no indication from any member of the crew including the fitter that any other engine appeared to be giving trouble. When the Captain thought the port engine was failing he should have immediately checked his engine instrument readings. Although he approach appears to have been normal, the Captain did in fact make an error as he did not allow for the facts that there was a flat calm or that he was making an approach off a flare path. Finally the pilot made the fatal mistake of attempting to look at the water. Such an act especially on a glassy sea is nearly always disastrous. The accident appears to have been brought about by the fact that the pilot attempted to land when a landing was unnecessary, and he made an error in his landing in that he appears to have used insufficient engine to flatten his approach. He also attempted to carry out a landing on a glassy sea at night by looking at the water. The Group Commander in his remarks stated ; “ I consider this accident was primarily due to the fact that there had been a fatal accident in the Squadron a few days previously due to an engine catching fire in the air and the resulting smoke filled the cockpit, making it impossible for the pilot to make a safe landing. In this case, the pilot after flying for 35 minutes on thee engines, states that he suddenly noticed a bright glow and small burst of flame on another engine and decided to land immediately, in so doing he stalled the aircraft which broke its back on hitting the water. I consider the pilot, FO Murphy, made a wrong decision in deciding to land and was guilty of an error of judgement in making the actual landing. AVM Slatter 201 Group” .

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I into the North Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF328
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 1928LT on September 29 on a mine laying operation in the Nectarines area. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Stuart Daniel Wells, pilot,
Sgt Edward George Souter, flight engineer,
Sgt Max Hilton Elliott, navigator,
Sgt Eric Harold Cecil Phillips, wireless operator,
W/O Lawrence Joseph Tighe, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Bernard Lovett Flint, air gunner,
F/Sgt Gerald Finnbarr McHugh, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Stetin: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4237
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Szczecin
West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie)
Country:
Poland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington in the evening of September 29 on a mine laying operation in the Willows area of the Baltic. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Stetin, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Laurance Walter Goalen, pilot,
Sgt James Victor Redshaw, flight engineer,
Sgt Alan Gilbert Boughtwood, observer,
Sgt Donald Patrick Shanley, observer,
F/Sgt David Bruce Paton, wireless operator,
Sgt Vincent Joseph Louis Lebano, air gunner,
Sgt John Edwin Watts, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86K off Häradskär: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.86
Operator:
Registration:
138
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
138
YOM:
1937
Location:
Häradskär
Östergötland
Country:
Sweden
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea north of Häradskär. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed A-28A-LO Hudson near Waco: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
42-46980
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
414-6900
YOM:
1942
Location:
Waco
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances about 2 km northeast of Waco. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Leland Walker Bray,
Cpt John G. Rafferty,
Cpl Ervin E. Schield,
1st Lt John P. Stewart.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Rzhev: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-K2703
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
13020
YOM:
1938
Location:
Rzhev
Tver oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While engaged in a communication mission, the airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rzhev. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III off Nelson: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1942 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2029
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Nelson - Nelson
MSN:
414-3852
YOM:
1941
Location:
Nelson
Nelson City Council
Country:
New Zealand
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training flight out from Nelson Airport. During the exercise, the captain decided to reduce his altitude and made a very low pass over the Tasman Bay, causing the propeller blades to hit the water surface. The pilot increased engine power and gained altitude. At a height of about 200 feet, the airplane went out of control, the pilot was able to send a brief mayday message and ditched the aircraft. Ten minutes later, the pilot of a RNZAF's Harvard spotted the Hudson floating with all crew alive, seating on both wings. Unfortunately, more than two hours were needed for the crew of a RNZAF ship to rich the site. Only one crew was found alive as all six other occupants died from hypothermia because the water temperature was too low.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/O Dean Horrocks, †
Sgt Vincent Hill, †
Sgt Jack Bryson, †
Sgt Victor Chapple, †
Sgt Gordon Stevens, †
AC1 John Davis, †
W/O J. Colway.
Probable cause:
Poor judgement on part of the pilot during a low pass over the sea, causing the propeller blades to hit the water surface.
Subscribe to Flight