Date:	Friday 15 July 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lincoln B.2
Owner/operator:	61 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RF471
MSN:	OR-Q
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Monson Farm, Skellingthorpe, 4 mi NW of RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire (EGXW)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lincoln RF471/Q : Written off (destroyed) 15 July 1949 when crashed at Monson Farm, Skellingthorpe, 4 miles North West of RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. All seven crew killed

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Waddington, while in initial climb, the four engine aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field at Monson Farm, Skellingthorpe. located 4 miles northwest of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all seven crew members of 61 Squadron were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert George Ratcliffe
F/Lt Raymond Henry Knight
Signaller James Whitecross Adamson
Gunner II Clarence Stanley Brett
Gunner I Frederick George Searle
Engineer I Gerald McCarthy
Nav. II Morris Guy Waterfall

A farm worker who was leading a herd of cows in for milking from a nearby field saw the Avro Lincoln circle the field three times and then fly off and suddenly it appeared out of a cloud nose down on fire and crashed into the next field exploding behind the hedge.

The inquest on the crash was held at RAF Waddington a few days later the cause of the crash was unknown, the Lincoln Coroner recorded the verdict on the crew as death by misadventure.

Flight Lieutenant Raymond Henry Knight, Signaller James Whitecross Adamson and Navigator II Morris Guy Waterfall were laid to rest in St. Michaels church yard Waddington the rest of the crew were taken and buried in their hometowns.

Cause: The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the pilot in command suffered a loss of situational awareness or suffered an optical illusion was not ruled out.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings - Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.522
3. Portsmouth Evening News - Saturday 16 July 1949
4. Thanet Advertiser - Tuesday 26 July 1949
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Avro_Lincoln#1940s
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) AVIA 5/29/W2454: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578300
7. http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/lancaster-crashes-in-lincolnshire-lancaster-crash-sites
8. Friends of RAF Skellingthorpe Newsletter - No.50 & No.61 Squadron Association: www.no-50-and-no-61-squadrons-association.co.uk › Issue+3+August+2019
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13881.0
10. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-694-lincoln-b2-near-raf-waddington-7-killed.
11. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1949

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
29-Apr-2013 11:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]
10-May-2017 21:48	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Oct-2018 19:48	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
04-Dec-2019 17:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Source, Narrative]
11-Apr-2024 17:42	Nepa	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator]