Military aircraft accidents UK 1957

Date Type Serial No Unit Base Fatalaties Location Details
3 January Meteor F.8 WE974 74 Sqn RAF Horsham St Faith 1 Hales, Norfolk

Collided with WA879 during combat practice & abandoned. Pilot ejected through canopy but chute did not open properly.

3 January Meteor F.8 WA879 74 Sqn RAF Horsham St Faith 1 Hales, Norfolk

Collided with WE974 during combat practice & abandoned. Pilot automatically ejected & struck underside of WE974.

3 January Vampire FB.5 WA417 7 FTS RAF Valley 1 4 miles S of Rhyl, Denbighshire Dived into ground recovering from spin.
4 January Meteor F.8 WK681 65 Sqn RAF Duxford 1 5 miles S of Framlingham, Suffolk Hit tree on low level navex, climbed for abandonment but dived into ground.
6 January Auster AOP.6 VF546 663 Sqdn   2

Dorfold Farm. 1m WSW of Nantwich Cheshire

Lost outer wing in air and dived into ground
9 January Vampire FB.5 VZ860 4 FTS RAF Worksop 1 Harby, Notts Dived into house in centre of village - presumed anoxia of pilot. I killed on ground
10 January Vampire T.11 WZ429 60 RAF College Instructor did not eject near Gosberton, Lincs

Spun into the ground after failing to recover from an intentional spin

U/Off M. A. Hicks ejected

14 January Meteor F.8 WE887 233 OCU RAF Pembrey 1 4 miles ENE of Worms Head, Glamorgan

Collided with WH459 in formation & abandoned. Pilot ejected through canopy, but chute failed to deploy.

21 January Vampire T.11 XD390 5 FTS RAF Oakington 2 1/2 mile NW of Lavendon, Bucks Dived into ground presumably after loss of control in turbulence
24 January Vampire FB.5 VZ274 8 FTS RAF Swinderby 1 3 miles south of Scunthorpe, Lincs Broke up in air. Cause unknown
24 January Venom NF.3 WX904 24 Sqdn RAF Horsham St Faith 1   Lost height after night take off & flew into ground
3 February Vampire FB.9 WR260 501 Sqdn Filton Flt Lt John Crossley
1 1/2 miles NNW of Clifton Bridge, Bristol Flew under bridge & rolled. Lost height & hit Bristol side of Avon Gorge
19 February Gannet AS4 XA415 814 NAS Seahawk

(Culdrose)

JOHNSON, Peter T, Sub Lieutenant
SUTHERLAND, Alistair, Petty Officer Telegraphist,
TURNER, Geoffrey S, Lieutenant

off the Lizard, SW Cornwall Presumed lost at sea during night navex.
25 February Venom FB.1 WK499 28 Sqdn Kai Tak 1 7 miles WSW of Waglan Island Flew into sea during practice attack on HMS Cockade
4 February Meteor NF.14 WS753 25 Sqdn RAF West Malling 2 4 miles east of Oxford Flew into high ground on night navex
4 March Venom FB.4 WR557 22 MU   1 Croglin Fell ESE of Carlisle, Cumberland Elevator jammed. Flew into hill on emergency approach
5 March Beverley C.1 XH117 53 Sqdn RAF Abingdon 15 + 2 Sutton Wick, 2 miles south of Abingdon Engine shut down, lost power on another. Hit cables on approach & cartwheeled into houses,
7 March Sea Hawk FB3 WF298 764 NAS Peregrine TORRENS-BURTON, Ian A, Sub Lieutenant Harrow Hill, NW of Worthing, Sussex Contact lost during GCA approach to RNAS Ford. Crashed into high ground.
8 March Canberra B.2 WH915 61 Sqn RAF Upwood 3 2 miles SSE of Tring, Hertfordshire Flew into high ground in bad weather.
13 March Hunter F.6 XF427 54 Sqdn RAF Odiham 1 2 miles east of Yarmouth IoW Dived into ground, cause unknown
25 March Hunter F.4 WV388 222 Sqdn RAF Leuchars 1 11 Miles E of Leuchars Crashed in sea on GCA let-down at night
28 March Wyvern S.4

WP343

831 NAS Peregrine

HUNT, Reginald C, Lieutenant

Off Bracklesham Bay, Sussex Took off with WL887 from Ford for 1 hour excercise & disappeared. Suspected mid-air collision.
28 March Wyvern S.4 WL887 831 NAS Peregrine MAGGS, Maurice L, Sub Lieutenant Off Bracklesham Bay, Sussex Took off with WP343 from Ford for 1 hour excercise & disappeared. Suspected mid-air collision.
5 April Hunter F4 WV384 71 Sqn RAF Bruggen 1 on approach to Bruggen, W Germany The pilot ejected but his seat gun drogue failed and he was killed
12 April Chipmunk T.10 WK582 Leeds UAS Yeadon ? 1 25 mile E of Harwood, Yorkshire Spun into ground during aerobatics.
12 April Meteor T.7 WL410 FWS RAF Leconfield 2 1 miles SW of Leconfield Dived into ground in circuit during single engine practice
13 May Vampire FB.5 WA250 8 FTS RAF Swinderby 1 2 miles E of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire Broke up in dive out of cloud.
27 June Meteor T.7 WG961 SF RAF Odiham Flt Lt Brian Thomas Hog's Back, 2 miles SE of Aldershot, Hampshire Stalled on asymmetric approach & dived into ground.
24 July Canberra B.2 WE114 231 OCU RAF Bassingbourn 3 2.5 miles WSW of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire Dived into ground after overshooting night BABS approach.
3 August Sea Venom FAW.21/22 XG619 891 NAS HMS Bulwark

BURT, Brian W, Lieutenant
TOWNEND, Anthony, Lieutenant

NK Engine failure during cat launch. Ditched over bows.
14 August Anson C.19 TX222 19 Gp CF NK 2 Botley Hill, Kent Flew into trees on high ground in low cloud
14 August Canberra B.2 WH865 231 OCU RAF Bassingbourn 1 1 mile ENE of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire Stalled on BABS approach & flew into ground
20 August Gannet AS.4 XA416 814 NAS HMS Eagle

LLEWELLYN, Raymond K, Act/Leading Telegraphist (Aircrew),
SWAYNE, William P H, Lieutenant (O)

Moray Firth Parked aft end flight deck prior to free take off. Port wing lifted & aircraft slipped over stern inverted. Lt TMB Seymour rescued.
11 October Meteor F.8 WA794 5 CAACU   1 Eifl Granite Quarry, nr Trefor, Anglesey Flew into quarry in bad visibility.
18 October Meteor T.7 WL368 7 CFE RAF West Raynham Flt Lt Michael John Withey
SAC Daniel McLoughlin
Nr. Dunnikier House Hotel, 2 miles N of Kirkcaldy, Fife Diverted from Turnhouse to Leuchars due to bad weather. The pilot had informed Leuchars flying control that he was in difficulty just after 3pm but no more was heard before the crash at 3.15.
7 November Hunter F6 XG162 DFLS   1 one mile south of West Raynham,
Norfolk
The pilot ejected and was killed
9 December Canberra B.2 WK129 Radar Research Establishment   2 Ffynnon, Llyfant, Carnedd Llewelyn, Caernarvonshire Flew into high ground.
               
               
               
               
               

 

4 February Hunter F.5 WP115 56 Sqdn   1 ? 3 miles WNW of Soham, Cambs

Engine flamed out during QCA
Abandoned & dived into field