Incident Overview
Date: Monday 19 February 1945
Aircraft Type: Douglas Dakota III (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Royal Air Force – RAF
Registration Number: TS436
Location: 4 km NE of Zeals RAF Station –
ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 21
Component Affected: Port wingPort wing
Category: Accident
A Dakota aircraft, returning from a training mission at RAF Zeals to Lincolnshire, experienced a severe incident due to poor flying weather conditions. The aircraft struck 60-foot beech trees on a hillock, resulting in significant damage and a crash. The pilot failed to reach a safe altitude, exacerbated by the obstruction of the knoll.A Dakota aircraft, returning from a training mission at RAF Zeals to Lincolnshire, experienced a severe incident due to poor flying weather conditions. The aircraft struck 60-foot beech trees on a hillock, resulting in significant damage and a crash. The pilot failed to reach a safe altitude, exacerbated by the obstruction of the knoll.
Description
The flying weather was poor, with low cloud and limited horizontal visibility as the Dakota was returning from RAF Zeals to Lincolnshire following a training mission at Zeals. Shortly after taking off the Dakota struck 60-feet tall beech trees atop a hillock and lost 10 feet of its port wing. This caused the plane to roll out of control, strike further trees and crash to the ground, breaking up and being consumed by fire. The pilot who was the sole survivor, had failed to climb to a safe height when flying in poor visibility, although the knoll was a well known obstruction in close proximity to the airfield.
Source of Information
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/17316-a-sad-ending-to-a-tragic-incident/http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/17316-a-sad-ending-to-a-tragic-incident/Primary Cause
Poor flying weather conditions, specifically low cloud and limited horizontal visibility.Poor flying weather conditions, specifically low cloud and limited horizontal visibility.Share on:
