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Crash of a Swearingen SA226T Merlin IIIA in Lille: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1980
Operator:
Registration:
CF-03
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lille - Lille
MSN:
T-262
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
BAF53
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Lille-Lesquin Airport and was completing several touch-and-go maneuvers. On final approach, just prior to touchdown, the airplane went out of control and crashed onto the runway. It was damaged beyond repair and both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Jean-Claude Timmermans, student pilot,
Étienne Lemmens, instructor.
Probable cause:
It was determined that one of the propeller went into reverse mode just prior to touchdown for undetermined reasons, causing the aircraft to lose speed and height.

Crash of a Miles M.57 Aerovan V in Herzeele

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-AJWD
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
6412
YOM:
1947
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reason, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in a field located in Herzeele, about 20 km south of Dunkerque. The aircraft was written off and the occupant fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 in Vicq: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1955 at 0015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WF426
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
569
YOM:
1952
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Parked at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex, the aircraft was stolen by Manik Agnani, a 22 years old mechanic from the RAF who did not held any pilot licence. Hew flew over the London area for more than three hours and then changed his route and flew to the south, over The Channel and then to France. Shortly past midnight, he lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in flames onto a house located in Vicq, about 9 km northeast of Valenciennes. The pilot was killed and four people in the house as well, two old people and two young girls aged 9 and 10.

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

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
MG552
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Knokke le Zoute Airfield, near Zeebrugge, to England. While approaching Dunkirk, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing all four crew members. It appears that the crew was flying too close to the city of Dunkirk which was still occupied by the German forces.
Crew (276th Squadron):
W/Cdr Norman John Starr,
W/Cdr James Heathcote Humphris,
S/L Henry Crawford Haley,
F/O Rowland Baker Moore.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO Skytrooper in Cambrai

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-68822
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Creil – Cambrai
MSN:
11749
YOM:
1943
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash landed for unknown reason at Cambrai-Niergnies Airfield. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston IIIA in Lille

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
BZ399
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Swanton Morlay - Swanton Morlay
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful supply mission over Courtrai, Belgium, the twin engine aircraft was returning to its base in Swanton Morlay, when the crew encountered engine problems and was forced to divert to Lille Airport. The crew completed a belly landing and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair while all four crew members were uninjured.
Crew (88th Squadron):
F/O J. B. Wilson,
P/O W. T. MacDonald,
F/L F. J. G. Patridge,
Sgt. T. Hunt.
Probable cause:
Both engine should be cut by the crew for unknown reason.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Wattignies-la-Victoire: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1943 at 0230 LT
Operator:
Registration:
JD297
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2334LT on July 13 on an operation to Aachen. While returning to base the following night, cruising at an altitude of 5,000 metres in the vicinity of Maubeuge, it was shot down by a German fighter, disintegrated in the air and crashed in a field in Wattignies-la-Victoire. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (102 Sq):
W/Cdr Henry Reginald Coventry, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey Tristram Pine-Coffin, flight engineer,
F/Lt Frederick Edward King, navigator,
F/O Crosby Frank Read, bomb aimer,
Sgt Walter Brown, wireless operator,
Sgt William Hardy, air gunner,
F/Lt George Frank Hogg, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Troisvilles

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1943 at 0215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED480
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bardney
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bardney at 2231LT on July 9 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by the German Flak. Abandoned by the crew, it crashed in Troisvilles and was destroyed. All seven crew members parachuted to safety, two became PoW and five evaded.
Crew:
Sgt John Douglas Duncan, pilot,
Sgt Sidney George Blunden, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Henry Thomas Brown, navigator,
Sgt Gerard Bartley, bomb aimer,
Sgt Sidney Hughes, wireless operator,
Sgt Leslie Gordon Warner, air gunner,
Sgt D. B. McMillan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Caudry: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1943 at 0250 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED720
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2230LT on July 8 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night and passing over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Caudry. Seven crew members were killed and the bomb aimer became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Gene Rosner, pilot, †
P/O Geoffrey Francis Disbury, copilot, †
Sgt Edward William John Amor, flight engineer, †
Sgt Wilfred Bailey, navigator, †
Sgt Frederick Henry Smooker, bomb aimer,
Sgt Jack Hougham, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt James Reginald Calder, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Dalton Arnold Turner, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Sains-du-Nord: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1943 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LN285
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Skipton-on-Swale - Skipton-on-Swale
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skipton-on-Swale at 2243LT on July 3 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sains-du-Nord. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William Howard Taylor, pilot,
F/O George Raymond Bousfield, navigator,
F/Sgt William Ernest Armstrong, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank Bertram Jackson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Douglas Allen Hogg, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.