Kent

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

London – Bordeaux – Lagos

MSN:

12014

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left London at 0930LT on a flight to Lagos with an ETA at 1400LT in Bordeaux, an intermediate stop. While descending to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided not to land. The captain diverted to Paris-Le Bourget instead Toulouse but was unable to land, because the weather was poor. He elected to divert to Cormeilles-en-Vexin but again, landing was impossible. He finally decided to return to London but while overflying Kent, fuel exhausted and the crew was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed in a field located in Stowting and was destroyed. Four crew members and four passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was due to the following chain of circumstances:
- The weather conditions encountered throughout the flight.
- Bad crewing, as a result of which three of the four operational members of the crew were unfamiliar with the route London - Bordeaux (and Toulouse).
- The captain's failure to ensure that he had all the necessary navigational and landing aid information for that part of the route. In this respect the navigator cannot be considered blameless.
- The unfortunate chance intervention of the York at Bordeaux but for which it seems likely the aircraft would have landed there. In spite of this delay the aircraft could, in fact, have landed as it was then the only one in the vicinity and all radio facilities were at its disposal.
- The captain's decision to go to Le Bourget before ascertaining the weather conditions there in preference to returning to the UK. His navigator had given him ETA's at London and Le Bourget of 1518LT and 1443LT respectively, and he knew Le Bourget. In the light of the evidence it is clear the aircraft would have had more than half an hour's fuel remaining it he had returned direct to England.
- The captains failure to inform Le Bourget of his 1440LT ETA until six minutes earlier. This gave the French station very short notice at a time when much traffic was being handled there in QBI conditions.
- The inability of Cormeilles-en-Vexin to handle two aircraft at once owing to the lack of a second channel, as stated in the French Notice to Airmen No. 49 of 21.10.46.
- The captain's failure to ask Regional Control for further guidance after the failure to establish contact with Cormeilles-en-Vexin between 1447LT, when he acknowledged the diversion and 1514LT when he asked for a QDM.
- The decision of the captain then to try and reach England having regard to his fuel situation at that stage of the flight.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Gillingham: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

42-96050

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The aircraft left RAF Boreham at 0505LT with several others airplanes on a mission to France (D-Day). While flying over the county of Kent in low visibility, the bomber collided with another Martin B-26 Marauder of the USAAF. Registered 42-96263, it was also carrying a crew of six. Following the collision, the first B-26 dove into the ground and crashed in an orchard, killing all six crew members. The second B-26 crashed at Corporation Road in Gillingham. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and six houses were destroyed as well. All six crew members and four people on the ground were killed.
Crew (394th BG):
Lt Witcher Terrell Berger,
Lt Warren D. Rodgers,
Sgt Edward H. Monaghan,
Sgt George S. Knight,
Sgt Alfred M. Zussa,
Cpl Forrest W. Pafenberg.
Civilians who perished in Gillingham:
Fanny F. Whittingham,
Joan Beatrice Ada Taylor,
Percy Montague Williams,
George Thomas William Gandon.
Source: ASN

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Gillingham: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

42-96263

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left RAF Boreham at 0505LT with several others airplanes on a mission to France (D-Day). While flying over the county of Kent in low visibility, the bomber collided with another Martin B-26 Marauder of the USAAF. Registered 42-96050, it was also carrying a crew of six. Following the collision, the first B-26 dove into the ground and crashed in an orchard, killing all six crew members. The second B-26 crashed at Corporation Road in Gillingham. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and six houses were destroyed as well. All six crew members and four people on the ground were killed.
Crew (394th BG):
Lt Claude Wallace Kline Jr,
Lt Emil F Ostrowski,
Sgt George S. Rogers,
Sgt Raymond F. Sablatura,
Sgt Joseph Amato.
Sgt James F. Bechtler.

Crash of Boeing B-17G-15-VE in Headcorn

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-97458

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

6822

YOM:

1944

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Aircraft was returning to its base following a mission over Augsburg, Germany. Due to technical failure, crew elected to make an emergency landing in a field in Headcorn. On landing, aircraft hit a tree, lost a part of its right wing and came to rest, broken in two. All crew escaped safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Unknown technical failure.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III off Dover: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

W8387

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Great Massingham - Great Massingham

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The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1209LT on an operation to Boulogne. Over the target area, it was hit by the German Flak and the crew decided to return to base. Approaching the British coast, the airplane was ditched in The Channel off Dover. Two crew members were killed and two others were rescued by a Royal Navy vessel.
Crew:
P/O Harry Neal, †
Cpl Donald Parr Thwaite, †
Sgt S. R. G. Adams,
Sgt P. Brady.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I near Warden: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0210 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

R5831

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

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The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2040LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed near Warden, on the Isle of Sheppey. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Evan Moffat Price, pilot,
F/Sgt Robert Charles Snowball, pilot,
W/O Peter Richard Thompson, observer,
F/Sgt Matthew Cameron Roberts, wireless operator,
Sgt Joshua Arnold Devalle, wireless operator,
Sgt Harry George Samuel Garnham, air gunner,
Sgt Samuel Block, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I off Margate: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1942 at 1540 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BB900

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Manston - Manston

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Circumstances:

The crew departed Manston Airport on a local training exercise (proficiency check). An engine failed in flight and the airplane was ditched in the sea off Margate. The observer was killed and three other crew members were rescued.
Crew:
P/O Offord, pilot,
F/Sgt James Gerard Shandley, observer, +2.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc I in Mereworth Wood: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BD116

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Schedule:

West Malling - West Malling

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local test flight out from West Malling Airfield. While circling in the vicinity of the airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed at Mereworth Wood. The pilot was killed and the radio operator was injured.
Crew:
W/O James Hopewell, pilot,
Sgt C. W. Cragg.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a loss of control due to flight control malfunction.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III of Herne Bay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3287

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors: