Country
code

Gwynedd

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Caernarfon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 2017 at 1723 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N250AC
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
31-7612040
YOM:
1976
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
4000
Aircraft flight hours:
9243
Circumstances:
Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff from a private airstrip in Cheshire the pilot reported pitch control problems and stated his intention to divert to Caernarfon Airport. Approximately 5 minutes later, the aircraft struck Runway 25 at Caernarfon Airport, with landing gear and flaps retracted, at high speed, and with no noticeable flare manoeuvre. The aircraft was destroyed. The elevator trim was found in a significantly nose-down position, and whilst the reason for this could not be determined, it is likely it would have caused the pilot considerable difficulty in maintaining control of the aircraft. The extensive fire damage to the wreckage and the limited recorded information made it difficult to determine the cause of this accident with a high level of confidence. A possible scenario is a trim runaway, and both the CAA and the EASA are taking safety action to promote awareness for trim runaways as a result of this accident.
Probable cause:
After reporting pitch control problems, N250AC made a direct diversion with a significantly unstable approach, in a clean configuration, to Runway 25 at Caernarfon Airport. The elevator trim was found in a nose-down position and, whilst the reason for this could not be determined, it is likely that it caused the pilot considerable difficulty in controlling the aircraft. The aircraft struck Runway 25 at Caernarfon Airport, with landing gear and flaps retracted, at high speed, and with no noticeable flare manoeuvre. The extensive fire damage to the wreckage and the limited recorded information made it difficult to determine the cause of this accident with a high level of confidence. It is possible there was a nose-down trim runaway that the pilot was unable to stop.
Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 at RAF Llanbedr

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VL300
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Llanbedr - Llanbedr
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Llanbedr. After landing, the airplane swung and veered off runway. While contacting a soil field, the undercarriage were torn off and the airplane came to rest with its left wing partially sheared off. While both crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Pentreuchaf

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1953
Operator:
Registration:
G-AIYP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
6456
YOM:
1946
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation and decided to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field located in Pentreuchaf and came to rest in flames. All eight occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson C.19 on Mt Snowdon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 11, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VM407
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Belfast – Llandow
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was flying back from Belfast-Aldergrove to RAF Llandow, carrying spare parts. En route, the weather conditions deteriorated with low clouds and fog. In such conditions, the crew lost his orientation and was unable to fix his position when the airplane hit the slope of Mt Snowdon. The wreckage was found few hours later and all three crew members have been killed.
Crew:
M/Plt Julian Maleńczuk,
F/Sgt J. Tracey,
F/Sgt W. Elliott.
Probable cause:
The departure from Belfast-Aldergrove was precipitated as the crew was instructed to fly back to Llandow as quick as possible. Thus, the crew failed to check the en route weather conditions prior to departure from Aldergrove and was not aware of the degradation.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B.2 on Mt Carnedd Llywelyn: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1950 at 0255 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF511
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Scampton - Valley
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Scampton in the evening of March 14 on a liaison flight to RAF Valley in Anglesey. While approaching Anglesey from the east by night and in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Carnedd Llywelyn (1,064 meters high) located in the Carneddau Mountain Range, about 23,5 miles southeast of RAF Valley. The wreckage was found in the early morning and all six crew members were killed.
Crew (230th OCU):
S/L John T. Shore, pilot,
F/Lt Cyril A. Lindsey, navigator,
Eng Ronald A. Forsdyke, Flight Engineer,
Sig Harold Henry Charman, radio operator,
Gnr Godfrey L. Cundy, air gunner,
Gnr Robert H. Wood, air Gunner.
Probable cause:
The subsequent Court of Inquiry determined that the likely cause was the crew had turned onto a southeasterly course over Anglesey instead of the reciprocal out to sea. According to some sources, the pilot misheard the instruction to "turn 180 degrees" as "turn 80 degrees" .

Crash of a Percival Q.6 Petrel in Pwllheli

Date & Time: May 6, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-AFIX
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
Q.31
YOM:
1938
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was carrying three passengers and a pilot from Blackpool and crashed in unknown circumstances in an open field located in Broom Hall, about three miles northeast of Pwllheli. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all four occupants were injured.

Crash of an Avro 685 York I in RAF Valley

Date & Time: Apr 28, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
MW256
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
MW256
YOM:
1946
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to RAF Valley, the four engine aircraft was too low and hit a 3 meters high sand dune located 140 meters short of runway threshold. On impact, the left main gear was sheared off. The aircraft lost height and hit the runway surface and crashed. All five crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew misjudged the distance between the aircraft and the ground and completed the last segment of the final approach at a too low altitude.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Bala: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1945 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LT238
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bishops Court - Bishops Court
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While performing a training exercise from RAF Bishops Court and cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground. During the descent, the aircraft disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in a prairie located in Bala. All four crew members were killed. There was no fire.
Crew (7th AFU):
F/Sgt Benjamin Curtis Winser, pilot,
P/O K. F. Usher,
P/O J. A. Taylor,
Sgt R. K. Baylor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-1-DK near RAF Valley: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1944 at 1200 LT
Operator:
Registration:
43-48473
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Paris - Warrington
MSN:
14289/25734
YOM:
1944
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Paris-Le Bourget Airport in the morning with mail bags and various goods. While flying over Wales, the crew was contacted by ground and instructed to divert to RAF Valley due to the deterioration of the weather conditions. After he changed his heading, the crew encountered marginal weather and shortly later, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a rocky mountain and was destroyed. First rescuers arrived on site ten days later and all four crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Moel Hebog: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EG472
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Llandwrog - Llandwrog
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training exercise from the RAF Llandwrog (Caernarfon). En route, while flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet in poor visibility, the crew encountered turbulence and obtained them permission to descend when the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt Moel Hebog located southwest of Beddgelert. A crew member was injured while all four other occupants were killed.
Crew (9th OAFU):
F/O Ray Alexander Dawson, pilot, †
P/O John Edgar Gunning, navigator, †
Sgt John Frederick Potts, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Harry Howard, wireless operator,
P/O Donald Archibald McFadyen, air bomber. †