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 a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Mondrepuis: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 0045 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

BB250

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1900LT on March 11 on an operation to Stuttgart. Cruising over France at an altitude of 15,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Mondrepuis. Two crew were killed, one became PoW and five evaded.
Crew:
P/O Borden Carrick Dennison, pilot,
S/L Lloyd Emerson Logan, pilot,
Sgt Emanuel George Lacina, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Elmer Leigh Bulman, navigator,
P/O Gordon Leonard Spencer, bomb aimer,
P/O Harold Jack Jennings, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Gray MacDonald, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Ronald Frank Kennett, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1943 at 2200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W7803

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1902LT on an operation to Stuttgart. In the evening, while flying over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in La Malmaison. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Harold Gordon Shockley, pilot,
P/O Bernard Henry Labarge, copilot,
Sgt Charles Orrin Henderson, flight engineer,
P/O Francis Holland, navigator,
P/O William Watson Kirkpatrick, navigator,
Sgt Matthew Walker Mackenzie, wireless operator,
F/O Wendell Mclean Palmer, air gunner,
P/O James Henderson, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942 at 2154 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK513

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

East Wretham - East Wretham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1732LT on an operation to Mannheim. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Montcornet, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Maxwell Wintringham Dixon, pilot,
Sgt Malcolm Charles Colwill, navigator,
F/Sgt James Douglas Rae, observer,
Sgt Charles Riches, wireless operator,
Sgt Andrew Graham Dunn, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Couvron-et-Aumencourt: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1942 at 0617 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W7916

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

Location:

Couvron-et-Aumencourt

Aisne

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 0128LT on an operation to Frankfurt. While returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Couvron-et-Aumencourt. Three crew members were, three became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
W/Cdr John Robert Andre Embling,
S/L John Greet Gordon Walkington, pilot, †
Sgt John Law, flight engineer, †
Sgt Ronald Cooper Arthur Douglas,
F/Sgt Lionel Cecil Fantini,
Sgt Harold Johnson,
P/O A. R. Haines,
Sgt Laurence Clifford Molloy, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Viry-Noureuil: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1942 at 0049 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

R9194

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Chedburgh - Chedburgh

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Chedburgh at 1833LT on an operation to Torino. While returning to base the following night and while cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Viry-Noureuil. Three crew members were killed, three others became PoW and one evaded.
Crew:
F/Sgt Frank Ellison Gatland, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Goldsack Short, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Herbert Allengy Harris, †
Sgt C. Penna,
Sgt George Booth,
P/O Patrick Maynard Warren Butler,
Sgt John Stammers, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Subscribe to Aisne