Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Escrick: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1942 at 2020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AP395
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Acaster Malbis - Acaster Malbis
MSN:
PAC.0234
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Acaster Malbis at 1945LT on a local training exercise. About 35 minutes later, he initiated the approach after weather conditions deteriorated. On final, in poor visibility, the pilot reduced his altitude from 600 to 100 feet, apparently to establish a visual contact with the ground, when the airplane contacted a tree and crashed in Escrick, some 5 km east of the airbase. Both crew members were seriously injured. The instructor died few hours later and the pupil died 3 days later from injuries sustained.
Crew (15th Squadron):
F/Sgt John Neil MacIver, pilot,
F/Sgt Harold Winston Cutler, pilot.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Goldsborough

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1942 at 0730 LT
Operator:
Registration:
W7776
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 1800LT on October 1st on 'Operation Chisel' which involved a flight over the Polish territory to locate the Drop Zone RAK 206 that was one kilometer south of Siedlce. While returning to base the following morning, it ran out of fuel and crash landed in an open field located in Goldsborough. All seven crew escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/Sgt Stanisław Klosowski, pilot,
W/O Franciszek Zaremba, pilot,
Sgt Czesław Kozlowski, flight engineer,
F/O Mariusz Marcin Wodzicki, navigator,
F/Sgt Zdzisław Nowinski, bomb aimer,
F/O Franciszek Pantkowski, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Tadeusz Madejski, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Low Catton

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1942 at 0530 LT
Operator:
Registration:
W1248
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2329LT on September 1st on an operation to Saarbrücken. While returning to base the following night, the starboard outer engine developed a serious glycol leak. Before an emergency landing could be effected, the three remaining engines cut and the Halifax crash landed at 0530LT into a field near Low Catton. All seven crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
P/O Harold Keith Stinson, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Wilfred Bailey, flight engineer,
Sgt George Andrew McIntyre, observer,
Sgt Colin George Arthur Brazier, bomb aimer,
Sgt Albert Hodson, wireless operator,
Sgt William Austin McMullan, air gunner,
Sgt Frank Tooth, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure following a glycol leak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Catfoss

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1942 at 1435 LT
Operator:
Registration:
BB196
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1420LT on a training mission, but as it cleared the runway, the port outer engine cut. Thick smoke issued from the manifold and despite full power being applied, the bomber would not climb above 300 feet. Fifteen minutes later, a crash-landing was made at RAF Catfoss, whereupon the undercarriage collapsed and the Halifax slid into Blenheim registered Z7302 belonging to 13 OTU. Both airplanes were wrecked and there were no casualties.
Crew:
Sgt A. I. T. Moir +4.
Probable cause:
Failure of the port outer engine.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Snaith: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 7, 1942 at 0040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3698
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 0040LT on an operation to Duisburg. Almost immediately after takeoff, it went out of control and crashed 1,6 km west of the airfield, bursting into flames. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was seriously injured. On August 15, the only survivor died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
F/Sgt Robert Wilson Baxter,
Sgt Bertie Harry Cosby, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Herbert Hodsell,
F/Sgt Anthony Roland Tipple, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold Weller, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Bridlington

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1942 at 0710 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AE154
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base, it drifted too far to the north over the sea and ran out of fuel. The crew ditched the airplane in the early morning some 64 km off Bridlington. The airplane sank and was lost and all four crew members were rescued.
Crew:
S/L Frederick Lionel Newall, pilot,
P/O S. Monkhouse, observer,
P/O G. M. Bishop, wireless operator,
Sgt H. Dickerson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Catfoss

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942 at 1720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1288
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Catfoss - Catfoss
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at RAF Catfoss. Following a hydraulic failure, the undercarriage got jammed and the crew was forced to make a belly landing after which the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the hydraulic system in flight, which caused the undercarriage to be jammed.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Harrogate

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942 at 0520 LT
Operator:
Registration:
W7761
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 0012LT on an operation to Duisburg. Over the target area, the crew was unable to release the load of bombs because the bomb release mechanism jammed. While returning to base, the crew attempted to jettison the bomb load over the North Sea but again, this was not possible. Eventually, the crew abandoned the airplane that crashed in Beckwith, in the suburb of Harrogate. All six crew members parachuted to safety.
Crew:
Sgt Harry Burns MacDonald, pilot,
Sgt James Ellis Jones, flight engineer,
P/O John Baker, navigator,
Sgt Edward Whitter, wireless operator,
Sgt Jack Reginald Ely, air gunner,
P/O Gerald Frederick Freedman, air gunner.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I at RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1942 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AT621
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Holme-on-Spalding-Moor - Holme-on-Spalding-Moor
MSN:
3805
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a solo training flight at RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. After touchdown, he lost control of the airplane that veered off runway and crashed into a ditch. The pilot escaped uninjured.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.95 Hertfordshire near Great Ouseburn: 11 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
R2764
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Fortune - Hendon
MSN:
95003
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
3755
Circumstances:
The object of the flight was to take four Russian Military Officers on a tour of inspection. The aircraft had earlier in the day flown from Hendon to Kirton-of-Tealing and thence to East Fortune. It was refueled at Tealing and was not serviced in any way at East Fortune. At 1625LT the captain took off from RAF East Fortune to fly back to Hendon. When approximately 3 ½ miles north of Great Ouseburn, York’s and flying at a height of about 2,000 feet, a defect developed in the starboard engine which caused n°7 cylinder to become detached from the crankcase. A fire broke out almost immediately in the neighborhood of the starboard engine nacelle and was of sufficient intensity to cause the starboard wing to break off at a point just outboard of the engine bearers and also to cause the starboard engine to break away. The fuselage, port wing, port engine and port undercarriage unit fell to the ground and burst into flames. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O I. Ramsey, pilot,
Sgt J. B. Smith, observer,
F/Sgt A. J. Stripp, radio operator,
Lac J. Lewis, fitter.
Passengers:
S/L K. W. Edwards,
F/Lt F. W. Wilton,
Col Pugatchev,
Maj Asyamov,
Maj P. Baranov,
Maj B. Shvetsov.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident was failure of the starboard engine. The reason for this cannot be stated with certainty but the evidence suggests that n°6 piston failed first and that this was followed by a rapid internal break up resulting in the knocking off of n°7 cylinder. This was followed by fire in the engine nacelle which quickly became very intense – probably as a result of the explosion of a wing fuel tank. The starboard wing then broke off and the engine fell out. The fuselage and tailplane were struck by some part of the detached wing or by the engine.
- There was no evidence that the servicing of this aircraft had been inadequate.
- There was no evidence to suggest sabotage.
- The pilot was experienced and fully qualified to carry out this flight.
- Apart from this accident and one in October 1940 (Hertfordshire R.2510), the D.H.95 seems to have a good record.
Final Report: