Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster X in Higher Shelf Stones: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1945 at 2210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
KB993
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
MSN:
37294
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was flying from RAF Linton-on-Ouse and had earlier been carrying out bumps and circuits but the crew became tired of this and decided to fly around the local area. As it became dark the crew became disorientated and eventually ended up circling Glossop. The aircraft was observed flying into the hillside at 2210LT.
Crew (408th Squadron):
F/O Anthony Arthur Clifford, pilot,
F/O Kenneth McIvor, flight engineer,
F/O David Fehrman, bomb aimer,
W/O Michael Cecil Cameron, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Clarence Halvorson, air gunner,
F/Sgt Leslie Claude Hellekson, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrictkb993.htm

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I near Edale

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NM683
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training sortie from RAF Warboys. While cruising at low altitude in poor visibility, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Rushup Edge located southwest of Edale. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were injured.
Crew (PFNT):
F/Lt Brian Gipson, pilot,
F/Lt Douglas Ivor Jones, copilot,
F/Lt William John Barclay, navigator,
F/O Victor Percival Skone-Rees, bomber.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress near Buxton: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
43-38944
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Burtonwood - Burtonwood
YOM:
1943
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a night training exercise. While flying at low height, the aircraft hit obstacles and crashed on the slope of Birchenough Hill, between Congleton and Buxton. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Donald James De Cleene, pilot,
2nd Lt Maynard Stravinski, copilot,
F/O Thomas Manos, navigator,
T/Sgt Howard F. Ayers, radio operator,
T/Sgt Frank E. Garry, flight engineer.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Edale

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N9853
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Newton – Millom
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training mission from RAF Newton to RAF Millom. While cruising in cloudy conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Edale Moor located in the Kinder Scout National Nature Reserve, northwest of Edale. All five occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (16th FTS):
F/Lt A. Chelstowski, pilot,
F/Sgt S. Pasinski, wireless operator.
Passengers:
F/Lt A. Mecinski,
F/Lt Witold Suida,
F/O Jan Kilmczak.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrictn9853.htm

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford in Axe Edge

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1944 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HN429
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On the 3rd November 1944 the crew of three boarded (including an instructor) HN429 for a Beam Approach training exercise from RAF Cranage in Cheshire where No.1531 Beam Approach Training Flight were stationed. Though this unit was itself a semi-autonomous detachment of No.11 (P)AFU from Calveley. At around 1000LT the trainee pilot lost his way and while trying to correct his error struck the gentle slope on the northern side of Axe Edge. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were injured.
Crew (11 (P) AFU):
F/O Charles Victor Mayhead, pilot,
F/O Albert Craig Mullen, student pilot,
F/O J. S. Bean, observer.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricthn429.htm
Probable cause:
Pilot error.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-15-FO Liberator near Glossop

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1944 at 1045 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-52003
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Burtonwood – Hardwick
MSN:
3534
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was being ferried from Burtonwood to Hardwick by a two man ferry crew on the 11th October 1944, the two men took off in the aircraft from Burtonwood near Warrington at 1032LT. They set a course of 135° and climbed to an indicated altitude of 2,800 feet. At approximately 1045LT, while in cloud and moderate to severe turbulence, Lt Houpt spotted a small gap in the cloud and saw the ground was only about 150 feet below him. He then applied full power and began to climb, but before they could gain any meaningful height the aircraft struck the ground on Mill Hill some 1.5 mile from the Grouse Inn between Hayfield and Glossop. The two men extricated themselves from the shattered cockpit and walked along one of the streams until they reached the Hayfield to Glossop road. A passing lorry driver stopped and picked them up and took them to a nearby pub where Lt Houpt telephoned Burtonwood to report the accident. They were then retrieved by an Ambulance from Burtonwood and their injuries were then treated. These were mainly cuts & bruises but Lt Houpt did suffer a broken jaw.
Crew (310th FS):
2nd Lt Creighton R. Houpt, pilot,
S/Sgt Jerome M. Najvar, flight engineer.
Source & photo:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrict42-52003.htm

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Upper Commons

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LJ628
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the aircraft hit a hill and crashed in the Peak District. All ten crew members were rescued, among them two were injured. The aircraft was totally wrecked. For unknown reason, the crew was flying at a too low altitude.
Crew (1654th Heavy Conversion Unit):
F/O Leonard Thomas Gardine, pilot,
F/O John O’Leary, pilot instructor,
Sgt Jim Coulson, bomb aimer and air gunner,
Sgt John David Gittings, flight engineer,
Sgt McDonald, navigator,
Sgt Thomas Edward Burroughs, wireless operator,
Sgt Ludlow, flight engineer,
Sgt Austin, air gunner,
Sgt Lennox Schultz Van Nierkirk, air gunner,
S/L Hadland.
Source and photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrictlj628.htm

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax III in Palterton: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1944 at 0055 LT
Operator:
Registration:
LK930
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
900
Captain / Total hours on type:
11.00
Circumstances:
While cruising by night over Derbyshire, one of both left engines failed. The pilot was unable to maintain a safe altitude and instructed the crew to bail out. For unknown reason, only three crew were able to abandon the aircraft that crashed in flames in Palterton, nine km west of Chesterfield. Three crew members were killed:
Sergeant William Arthur Roland Andrew,
Sergeant Arley Carlisle Carl Starnes, air gunner,
Sergeant Russell Irvine Pym, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I on Margaret Hill: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1943 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LX518
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Wheaton Aston - Wheaton Aston
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
At 20:45pm on the 18th October 1943 P/O Denis Kyne took off from Wheaton Aston, which is between Stafford and Telford, for a solo night cross country navigation flight along with several other aircraft (this was his first solo night flight), all of which were taking different routes. P/O Denis Kyne was to have flown WSW to Condover then NNE to Shawbury and then ESE to return to Wheaton Aston, a route of a little over 50 miles. The weather was rapidly deteriorating and at 21:45pm it was decided to re-call all of the aircraft flying that night, the re-call was acknowledged by all but one of the aircraft, this being LX518. When the aircraft failed to return by ten past midnight it was reported as overdue, it was known that the aircraft could no-longer be airborne as there was only 2 1/2 hours of fuel onboard, with the hope that P/O Kyne may have landed elsewhere. Five days later on the 23rd October the missing aircraft was found on Margary Hill in the north-east of the Peak District, some 56 miles NNE of Wheaton Aston, it was concluded that P/O Kyne must have become lost shortly after he took off. He had radioed to say he was proceeding to his first way point which he may have reached and turned towards Shawbury, which had he done so he would have missed as their beacon had failed shortly after 9pm. After missing the Shawbury beacon P/O Kyne could have continued in a north-easterly direction until he became hopelessly lost.
Crew (21st AFU):
P/O Denis Patrick Kyne.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrictlx518.htm

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Blackden Edge: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
HR727
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew, stationed at Snaith in Yorkshire were taking part in a raid against the German city of Frankfurt. The outward leg proceeded normally until shortly after they had released their bomb load over the target area. The aircraft was illuminated by a searchlight and engaged by flak and a night fighter sustaining hits to the port inner engine setting it alight and the No.2 fuel tank. The pilot took evasive action by corkscrewing the aircraft from 19,000 feet to 9,000 feet successfully evading further contact. As well as the fuel loss from the damage to one of the tanks, the loss of the port inner engine meant that some functions were also lost. Most could be carried out entirely manually but the engines generator provided power to the aircraft's batteries that powered the mid-upper turret, beam approach radio equipment and the R1154 / T1155 radio. These would work only as long as the charge remained in the batteries. The aircraft passed its turning points as far as Reading, shortly after the radio failed as the batteries had been drained. The weather at this point had deteriorated with low cloud and rain, effectively removing any chance of seeing landmarks such as rivers which would aid in locating Snaith, or another airfield. Eventually the pilot began to descend through the cloud to be able to find landmarks but while still in cloud, and virtually out of fuel, the aircraft flew into the ground on Blackden Edge. The aircraft broke up over a fairly wide area, most of the crew who died were killed in the crash but the Sergeant Lane survived the crash but was severely injured and died before help, summoned by Sgt Mack, arrived the following day.
Crew (51st Squadron):
Sgt Ernest Hatfield Fenning, pilot, †
W/O Jean Gilbert Felix Fortin, navigator, †
Sgt Eric George Lane, flight engineer, †
Sgt Victor Garland, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank Allan Squibbs, wireless operator, †
Sgt Boris Karl Short, air gunner, †
Sgt James B. Mack, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricthr727.htm
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak and a German nigh fighter as well.