Plzeň Region (Plzeňský kraj)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Wyton - Wyton

Location:

Dobřany

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2129LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Dobřany, 10 km southwest of Plzeň. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Frank Cyril Milton, pilot,
F/Sgt Roy Beaven, flight engineer,
F/O Norman Milton McLellan, navigator,
F/Lt Walter Basil Wells, navigator,
Sgt Alex Podolsky, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Jack Rodgers, air gunner,
Sgt Maurice Kleinhorn, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Plzeň: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

ED651

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bottesford - Bottesford

Location:

Plzeň

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bottesford at 2125LT on April 16 on an operation to the Škoda factory in Plzeň. It is believed that it was shot down by enemy fire over the target area. Three crew members were killed and four others were injured. One of the survivors died from injuries sustained on April 23.
Crew:
Sgt Bruce Craig Wilson, pilot,
Sgt Ralph Henry Pallender, flight engineer, †
F/O Frederick Gabriel Boswell,
P/O Robert Stitt,
Sgt Harold Frederick Goode, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Watson Bannatyne, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert Dunn, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Plzeň: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

W4848

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds

Location:

Plzeň

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 2112LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. While approaching the Škoda factory, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O James Owen Beggs Mooney, pilot, †
Sgt Stephen Biggs, flight engineer,
F/O Aaron Henry Gipson, observer, †
F/O Francis James Hudson, wireless operator, †
Sgt Horace Joseph Dennis Rouse,
Sgt Victor John Merefield, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert William Harley, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 near Lake Prášil: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

CO+ON

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

0089

Location:

Lake Prášil

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a wooded area located near Lake Prášil, near the border with Germany. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86 in Litice

Date & Time: May 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.86

Operator:

Registration:

??+NO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4033

Location:

Litice

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a training mission when an apparent fuel exhaustion forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in an open field located in Litice, southwest of Plzeň. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members escaped uninjured.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Wibault 283.T12 in Kašperské Hory: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1937 at 1729 LT

Type of aircraft:

Wibault 282/283

Operator:

Registration:

F-AMYD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bucharest – Vienna – Prague – Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1934

Location:

Kašperské Hory

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft departed Vienna-Schwechat Airport at 1555LT bound for Prague. Approaching the Czech capital city, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was instructed by ATC to return to Vienna. Few minutes later, the crew decided to initiate a descent but did not realize he was off course by 120 km. While descending in low visibility, at an altitude of some 700 metres, the aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a snowy forest located on the north slope of Mt Hut'ska. The wreckage was found a day later in 60 cm of snow. The aircraft named 'Le Glorieux' was totally destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Frantisek Lehky, pilot,
Pierre Astruc, radio navigator.
Passenger:
Karel Flanderka.

Probable cause:

According to the authorities, the accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Poor weather conditions,
- Low visibility,
- Failure of the direction finding equipment,
- Erroneous tracking calculation on part of the crew,
- Incomplete instructions transmitted by ATC based in Prague.

Crash of a Caudron C.61 near Rosshaupt: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1926 at 1645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.61

Operator:

Registration:

F-AFBT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Paris – Strasbourg – Nuremberg – Prague – Budapest

MSN:

5/5307

YOM:

1923

Location:

Rozvadov

Country:

Region: