Date:	Wednesday 31 December 1941
Time:	day
Type:	Westland Lysander Mk IIIA
Owner/operator:	400 (City of Toronto) Sqn RCAF
Registration:	R9119
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Gelligaer -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Odiham, Basingstoke, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Pembrey

Narrative:
R9119 was assigned to the 400 (City of Toronto) Squadron, RCAF. Icing caused engine failure and the pilot was forced to land on a mountainside near Gelligaer on 31st December 1941. One crewman survived.


Details:

On the morning of the 31st of December, the squadron was local flying practice. Lysander R9119 took off at 09:45hrs with Captain Reynolds flying and a P/O Knight as his passenger. They left for RAF Pembrey to arrange details of an artillery shoot at Sennybridge ranges.
Their first leg was to Plymouth then up to Cardiff. After leaving Pengam Moors the weather closed in with thick cloud and fog. It appears they veered off course slightly on their next leg to Pembrey and found themselves in cloud and ice started to build up. Capt Reynolds had no option but to put the Lysander down and quickly! They saw ground below which was near Nelson and Gelligaer, he spotted the ground was fairly open and covered in snow. The aircraft touched down with the soft ground below the snow caused the aircraft to flip over.
The damage was extensive, and the engine was torn from its mounting and the rear fuselage broken. Both the occupants were somehow uninjured! There was a farm nearby and they were able to raise the alarm.
Having reported the accident and arranging a guard, Capt’ Reynolds and P/O Knight travelled to Cardiff and waited for squadron transport to arrive.
Meanwhile at Odiham, the transport left on the 1st of January 1942. After pick up they returned on the 3rd.
On the same day the investigation to the forced landing was opened by F/Lt Morris.
His findings were:
‘Un-expected icing caused engine failure. A/C Captain conducted a successful forced landing, but soft ground caused the A/C to turn over.
R9119 was SOC January 1942.’

Crew:
Capt’ W. Reynolds Royal Artillery (Army). Pilot. Uninjured.
P/O S. M. Knight RAF. Obs/Pas’. Uninjured.

Wreckage:
Unknown/private field.

Additional information:
The weather during the month of January and until the 23rd of February consisted of heavy snow causing no flying with the airfield un-operational. It also meant the wreck of R9119 remained on the hillside for at least two to three weeks until recovery by the recovery team from RAF St Athan.
On the 31st of March. The planned exercises with 4,5 & 6 RCA (Royal Canadian Artillery) started with Capt’ Reynolds commanding along with four 400 Sqn’ pilots practicing ARTy/R procedure. The squadron visited Sennybridge up to eight more times that year.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1980)
2. Doylerush, E, 2008, Rocks in the Clouds: High Ground Aircraft Crashes in South Wales, p.109.
3. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
discovery.nationalarchives.gov/air27/1770/9

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2019 22:52	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-May-2019 12:13	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
20-Nov-2021 09:31	Davies 62	Updated [Total fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]