Flight | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Dortmund. A 2215LT, with an engine on fire, it crashed in Felpham, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Stanley Wilson Charles Culmer, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Edward George Nation, navigator,
Sgt James Aitken Hutchison, wireless operator,
Sgt Dennis Manning, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-5 in Ribnitz-Pütnitz: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1942 at 1635 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Ribnitz-Pütnitz - Ribnitz-Pütnitz

MSN:

3552

Location:

Ribnitz-Pütnitz

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing training exercises at Ribnitz-Pütnitz Airport when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the vicinity of the airfield. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Max Unverfehrt, pilot, +1.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Baldersby: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1942 at 1246 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

R9488

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Dalton - Dalton

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The airplane departed RAF Dalton on a test flight with eight crew members on board. In flight, it went out of control and crashed in an open field located at York Gate Farm in Baldersby, bursting into flames. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Crew
F/Lt Harry Malcolm Williams, pilot,
Sgt John Kirkpatrick Morris, pilot,
Sgt Noel Grimoldby, flight engineer,
Sgt Philip Leonard Newell Trehearn, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Harold Sutton, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth O'Connelley, wireless operator,
F/Lt Henry Noel Ross, air gunner,
LAC John Livesey, ground crew.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the crash was causes by rudder overbalance. Eye witnesses report the Halifax executing a series of left and right turns, before stalling and spinning into the ground.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I into the North Sea: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1942 at 0109 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7519

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Wyton - Wyton

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2130LT on April 13 to lay mines off Wanderooge. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Ronald Victor Neal McKay,
F/Sgt Robert Henry Higgins,
Sgt Walter Cobell,
Sgt John Patterson Smith Worling,
Sgt Harry Humm,
Sgt Ronald David Steer,
Sgt Harry George Kingston,
Cpt John Cecil Noel.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.58 Weihe in Bergen: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Focke-Wulf Fw.58 Weihe

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

170

Location:

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The airplane was shot down by ground fire and crashed in Bergen, killing both pilots.
Crew:
Fw Alfred Drossel, pilot,
Ogefr Gerhard Klesa, pilot.

Probable cause:

Shot down by ground fire.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30 Liberator in Buenaventura

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated LB-30 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

AL631

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

129

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

Damaged beyond repair following a crash landing on a beach in Buenaventura. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86 near Wehnsdorf: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 2300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.86

Operator:

Registration:

CU+??

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Alteno - Alteno

MSN:

3014

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed Alteno Airfield with a crew of three on board. En route, the crew encountered engine trouble and lost control of the airplane that crashed in the forest of Walddrehna, northwest of Wehnsdorf. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Ernst Möller, pilot,
Uffz Ernst Schröder, mechanic,
Gefr Hansgeorg Seyffert, radio operator.

Probable cause:

Engine trouble in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Fitling: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AT196

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Scampton - Scampton

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The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2132LT on April 12 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following morning, and while cruising at an altitude of 5,300 feet, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot ordered his crew to bail out before leaving the aircraft himself. Tragically, the remainder of the crew failed to get out in time and all three were killed when the airplane crashed in a field located at Chamberlain Charity Farm, Fitling. The pilot was injured.
Crew:
Sgt James Trevor James, pilot,
Sgt William John Marshall, observer, †
Sgt Harold Taylor, wireless operator, †
Sgt John Thompson Smith, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Double engine failure due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 0422 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AT120

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Balderton - Balderton

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The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 2129LT on April 12 on an operation to Essen. It failed to return and is believed to have crashed into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Ian Meech, pilot,
Sgt John Joseph Davenport, observer,
F/Sgt George Malcolm Lantz, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Gordon John Wilkie, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Urk: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 0315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3596

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2257LT on April 12 on an operation to Essen. Passing over the IJsselmeer, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 3,5 km off Urk. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Albert Ernest Holder, pilot,
Sgt Noel Hensley Blair, pilot,
P/O Ronald William Barlow, observer,
Sgt Kenneth John Raiswell, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas James Phillips, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Ryan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.