ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 172472
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Saturday 15 April 1944 |
| Time: | 23:00 |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 1664 HCU RAF |
| Registration: | EB205 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Railway Cottages, Topcliffe Bridge Rd, near RAF Topcliffe, North Yorks -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire |
Sent out on a routine training flight, April 15th 1944, Halifax EB205 encountered bad weather. At one point, the crew were ordered to stand down but later ordered to fly above the storm that was due to hit the area later that day. The flight went well and they could see the storm gathering below.
On returning to base at approx 23:00 hrs they hit the full force of the storm. As they were preparing to land at Dishforth, both port engines had cut. The pilot radioed ahead, and he was given priority to land. Cloud cover was down to 500 feet over Dishforth and on breaking cloud cover, they realised they had overshot. The pilot decided to put down at the nearby Topcliffe aerodrome and was approaching there with a 10 mph tailwind. As a precaution the crew were ordered to take up crash positions.
The Mid-Upper Gunner John Tynski came down from his position and laid down on the floor with his parachute over his head. The aircraft careered off the end of the runway and into the railway cottages close to the road.
Five crew and three civilians were killed, one of those Mr James MacNulty, was killed as he was cycling by at the time. The occupants of the house, Mr and Mrs Stone, were also killed. John Tynski having been knocked unconscious came to trapped by all the building rubble. On fire and fearing for his life, his first thoughts were to gather the ammunition that had spilled from the containers and move it away from the fire.
At risk of being burned alive he then made up a makeshift wall from the brick rubble that lay all around to shield him from the heat. At this point he could hear help arriving from local farmers Rooke and Starr, who eventually dragged him to safety. It was later discovered by an accident investigation team that the Flight Engineer had inadvertently turned the fuel off to the port engines thus contributing to the accident. Four of the crew are buried at the Stonefall Cemetery Harrogate, and one at Wandsworth (Streatham) Cemetery. Harry Pearce, navigator, also survived but was later killed over Belgium on Dec 18th, 1944.
The three civilians involved were:
Mr Albert George Grimwood Stone, aged 48, of Topcliffe Road Bridge, killed.
Mrs Clara Stone, aged 62, Topcliffe Road Bridge, killed.
Mr James McNulty, aged 36, of Curradraish, Foxford, Co. Mayo, Irish Republic, Irish farm labourer, killed.
Sources:
1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/eb205.html]
2. http://www.ne-diary.bpears.org.uk/Inc/ISeq_36.html
3. http://www.stoswaldsowerby.org.uk/warmemorials/
4. http://www.rcaf434squadron.com/crash-sites-ftr/crash-sites-failed-to-return/12642860?originalSize=true
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Dec-2014 22:03 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-May-2015 06:37 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Narrative] |
| 02-Nov-2018 18:46 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator] |
| 24-Aug-2020 05:26 | Anon. | Updated [Date] |
| 10-Nov-2023 18:55 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation