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

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0300 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AE393
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Balderton - Balderton
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 1715LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. At night and in low visibility due to clouds, the airplane impacted the slope of a hilly terrain in Dalefoot, near West Burton. Three crew members were killed and the pilot was injured.
Crew:
S/L W. J. Burnett, pilot,
F/Sgt James Arthur Bunting, observer, †
Sgt John Robinson Appleby, wireless operator, †
Sgt Maurice Jones, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC on Mt Cheviot: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2355 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1078
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 1723LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, the crew encountered heavy snow falls over the north of England. Flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet in poor visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Cheviot. A crew was killed and five others were seriously injured. The next day, two of the survivors died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt Laurence Warren Hunt, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Walter Irving, observer, †
Sgt Frederick George Maple, wireless operator, †
P/O B. A. McDonald,
Sgt W. H. Allworth,
Sgt C. F. Glover.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo on Mt Waternomee: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1942 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
37-619
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Westover - Westover
MSN:
2619
YOM:
1937
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Westover AFB at the end of the afternoon on a maritime patrol flight off the east US coast after a German submarine have been located in this area. Following an uneventful mission, the crew returned to base in the evening. Approaching the coast, the crew noted that weather conditions deteriorated and that the visibility was low due to clouds down to 4,000 feet. The captain decided to continue the flight under the cloud layer but failed to realize that the wind was strong. While cruising at night and in snow falls, the twin engine airplane hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located on Mt Waternomee, in the White Mountain National Forest. SAR teams arrived on the scene two hours later and were able to evacuate five injured crew while two others were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Anthony Benvenutto, pilot,
2nd Lt Woodrow A. Kantner, copilot,
2nd Lt Fletcher Craig, navigator,
Pfc Richard G. Chubb, flight engineer,
Pfc Noah W. Phillips Jr., radio operator, †
Pfc Raymond F. Lawrence, bomb aimer, †
Robert P. Picard, photographer.
Probable cause:
According to US military experts, it appears that the accident was caused by the fact that the crew was not conscious of his real position due to poor weather conditions. The crew thought they were approaching Westover AFB by the South while they were approaching from the North (the airplane strayed off course due to strong unfavorable winds). Due to poor weather conditions, all ground beacons and markers were out of service and the visibility was reduced due to the night associated to snow falls. In such conditions, the crew did not have any sufficient visual ground or sky heavenly references.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford II on Mt Mitre: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ1237
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ohakea - Ohakea
MSN:
2657
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Ohakea Airfield on a cross-country exercise. While cruising in clouds, it impacted the slope of Mt Mitre (Pukeamoamo) located about 79 km northeast of Wellington. The wreckage was found in May 1942. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
LAC James Edgar Norman Corin,
LAC Ronald Alfred Walter Abrahams.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 in Liping: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
3011
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the Liping District. Two crew bailed out and the third occupant was killed when the airplane crashed in mountains.
Crew:
Wen Jin, pilot +2.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30A Liberator near Hanna: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
AL607
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
105
YOM:
1941
Location:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from McDill AFB, the heavy bomber was abandoned by the crew for unknown reasons. Out of control, the airplane crashed about 16 km south of Hanna, and was destroyed. Seven crew members parachuted to safety and a eighth was killed.
Crew:
Frank W. Potter, pilot,
2nd Lt Phillip T. Wolking +6. †

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Mt Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N9562
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training sortie. While flying in a valley in the Snowdonia Mountain Range, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions. In poor visibility, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of Mt Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd located 12 km southwest of Caernarfon. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (9th AONS):
Sgt Douglas Charles Scurrey, pilot,
AC2 William Kenneth Hawkins, pilot,
LAC William Edward Goodwin, observer,
LAC Joseph Jose, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Beechcraft F-2 near Ashland: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1942 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
40-686
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Gray - Sacramento
MSN:
344
YOM:
1940
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Gray Army Airfield in Fort Lewis on a liaison flight to the Sacramento Air Depot, carrying two passengers and one pilot. While cruising at an altitude of 4,000 feet south of Medford, the pilot reported poor weather conditions with freezing rain. Shortly later, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Pilot Rock, some 15 miles southeast of Ashland. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was finally found by a local resident 8 June 1942. All three occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to thick fog with freezing rain and snow falls.
Crew:
1st Lt Raymond A. Stockwell, pilot,
Passengers:
T/Sgt Randolph Jones,
T/Sgt Paul W. Stone.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley II in Twynau Gwynion

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
K7246
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
1234
YOM:
1938
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Stormy Down on a delivery flight. One of the engine failed in flight, emitting thick black smoke. The pilot made a belly landing in hilly terrain in Twynau Gwynion. All four crew members escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Nidderdale

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1942 at 0250 LT
Operator:
Registration:
Z6656
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Croft - Croft
MSN:
2090
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1622LT on January 2 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it crashed into high ground while descending through cloud. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt A. Attwell, pilot,
Sgt D. Johnston,
Sgt V. E. Shirley,
Sgt E. C. Smith,
P/O K. Blyth.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.