Derbyshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1651LT on an operation to Lorient. While returning to base in the evening, the crew encountered poor visibility when the bomber impacted the slat part of Mt Kinder Scout located northwest of Edale and crashed. All six crew members were rescued, among them one was injured.
Crew (427th Squadron):
F/Lt Carroll Alfred Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Lyndon George Southwood, copilot,
P/O Donald Mortimer, bomb aimer,
P/O George Albert Martin, navigator,
Sgt Anthony David Deane, wireless operator,
Sgt William Lumsden, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

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

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943 at 1550 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK405

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Church Broughton - Church Broughton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Church Broughton on a training mission including landings, circuits and single engine manoeuvre. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pupil pilot went through the drill in readiness to shut down the port engine but inadvertently feathered the starboard propeller, causing a complete loss of power. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an field, bursting into flames. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Ralph Holland Tye, instructor pilot,
Sgt William Raymond Wearne, student pilot,
Sgt Ian Ross McDonald, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Kerr, wireless operator,
Sgt John Stoppard Eccles, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The pilot under training mistakenly feathered the starboard propeller after the left engine was shut down while completing a single engine exercise.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Buxton: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

L7968

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Cranage - Cranage

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following a night training mission, while returning to RAF Cranage, the pilot mistook a navigation beacon and instead starting the descent through the airbase, went off course. Shortly later, in limited visibility, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of a mountain near Buxton. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Paul Joseph Woodcock, pilot,
Sgt James Munro Matheson, pilot,
Sgt Richard James Reay, pilot,
Sgt William Gordon Dale, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Wrong interpretation of a navigation beacon on part of the crew, causing a fatal navigational error and resulting in a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Church Broughton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1942 at 2305 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8854

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Church Broughton - Church Broughton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a night training exercise when weather conditions deteriorated. All crew were instructed to return to base except this crew. Eventually, the pilot attempted to return to base but on final, he encountered very poor visibility due to fog. On approach, the airplane crashed and exploded, killing all six occupants.
Crew (27th OTU):
F/Lt František Fanta, pilot,
Sgt Josef Hrala, pilot,
P/O Karel Mucha,
P/O Václav Obšil,
Sgt Emil Tufkel,
Sgt Rudolf Jelínek.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near Ockbrook: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

W5795

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Boscombe Down - Boscombe Down

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was an experimental machine fitted with a pressurized cabin for high-altitude reconnaissance operations. After the cabin pressurization system was checked, while cruising at an altitude of 32,500 feet, a section of one of the propeller blades sheared off, penetrating the cabin, causing a loss of pressure and possibly incapacitating the pilot. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and broke up before crashing in an open field located between the villages of Dale Abbey and Ockbrook. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Cyril Lancelot Fellowes Colmore, pilot,
F/Sgt Ronald Potts Gillott, wireless operator,
P/O Kenneth Radford, air gunner,
F/Sgt Arthur James Smith, observer,
Mr. C. V Abbott, flight test observer.

Probable cause:

Loss of a propeller blade in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I on Kinder Scout: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942 at 2038 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE381

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While completing a night training exercise, the airplane crashed at 2038LT at a place known as Cluther Rocks on Kinder Scout in the Derbyshire Peak District, following an attempt to lands at Manchester-Ringway Airport. Weather conditions were extremely poor at the time of the accident. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Royal George Heron,
Sgt Sydney Albert Peters, wireless operator,
Sgt William Thomas Tromans, wireless operator,
Sgt Walter Chantler Williams.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain. It is believed that the crew failed to see the rising ground until it was too late to take avoiding action.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Ashbourne: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1942 at 2348 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5514

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Binbrook - Binbrook

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Binbrook at 1707LT on an operation to Brest. In the late evening, it returned to base when, on final approach, it collided with high tension cables and a lorry and crashed. Five crew members escaped with minor injuries. Earlier, while taking evasive action over the target, F/S Bryant bailed out as ordered, and was killed.
Crew:
P/O J. M. Garlick,
F/Sgt Harry Douglas Bryant, †
Sgt N. Erskine,
Sgt B. L. Schauenberg,
Sgt E. F. A. Matthews,
Sgt J. Stevens.

Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I on Mt Bleaklow: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn B-26 Botha

Operator:

Registration:

W5103

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Sherburn-in-Elmet – Hawarden

MSN:

3241/39

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Sherburn-in-Elmet to Hawarden, while flying over the Peak District National Park, the twin engine airplane impacted the slope of Mt Bleaklow located east of Manchester. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew (6th FPP):
F/O Thomas William Rogers.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it is believed that it was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain as the pilot was attempting to establish a visual contact with the ground while flying in clouds.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Chellaston

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1941 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6648

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2082

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2026LT on September 2 on an operation to Frankfurt. While returning to base the following morning, it crash landed at Chellaston on the southern outskirts of Derby. All five crew members escaped with minor injuries.
Crew:
Sgt D. W. Mercer,
Sgt Gardiner,
Sgt Armstrong,
Sgt Hemming,
Sgt Taylor.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Chapel-en-le-Frith

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

V3210

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cranwell - Cranwell

MSN:

2877

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot departed RAF Cranwell on a solo training exercise. After he completed the flight above the clouds, he started the descent back to the base. Flying in clouds, the airplane crashed into a hill located near Chapel-en-le-Frith. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was injured.
Crew:
LAC Brian C. Forsdick, pilot.

Probable cause:

It was reported that the pilot failed to follow the instruction not to fly above the clouds.

Subscribe to Derbyshire