Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 13 July 1944
Aircraft Type: Short Sunderland
Owner/operator: Royal Air Force – RAF
Registration Number: DV991
Location: Bathurst RAF Station –
ÿ Gambia
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Component Affected: Aircraft structure (specifically the nose and wing)Aircraft structure (specifically the nose and wing)
Category: Accident
A RAF Sunderland DV991 aircraft, engaged in an operational patrol mission, experienced a catastrophic incident. The aircraft took off from RAF Bathurst, Gambia, and subsequently entered rough water, resulting in a stall and subsequent crash into the water. Explosions from depth charges caused a fire on the water surface, leading to the aircraft’s sinking.A RAF Sunderland DV991 aircraft, engaged in an operational patrol mission, experienced a catastrophic incident. The aircraft took off from RAF Bathurst, Gambia, and subsequently entered rough water, resulting in a stall and subsequent crash into the water. Explosions from depth charges caused a fire on the water surface, leading to the aircraft’s sinking.
Description
RAF Sunderland DV991 took off from RAF Bathurst, Gambia, on an operational patrol mission. The take off run was long and this took the aircraft into rough water. After the last bounce the aircraft was observed to be in an attitude with the nose 45 degrees above the horizontal. The aircraft then stalled with nose and wing down, crashed into the water and broke up. When the aircraft sank, the depth charges exploded, causing a fire on the water.
Source of Information
https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/images/collection/pdf/RC09125_006–1-.pdfhttps://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/images/collection/pdf/RC09125_006–1-.pdfPrimary Cause
Depth charge detonationDepth charge detonationShare on:
