Date:	Wednesday 15 March 1950
Time:	01:30
Type:	Avro Lincoln B Mk 2
Owner/operator:	100 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RF472
MSN:	HW-J
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Kennington Cliff, NE of RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Lincoln RF472/J: Crashed at Kennington Cliff, North East of RAF Hemswell on 15/03/1950.
Pilot reported that BABS (Blind Approach Beam System) was unserviceable. He did not received diversion instructions as the HF Radio was switched off. Aircraft overshot from an attempted visual landing, crashed, overturned, and broke apart.

The Times Thursday, March 16, 1950 says about the crash:

"Five members of the crew were killed, and one was injured, when a Lincoln aircraft, which had been on a night cross-country training flight, crashed at Hemswell R.A.F. station. Lincolnshire, early yesterday. The Lincoln was coming into land in fog, when it struck a wheat field near Kennington Cliff".

Those killed were:-
Master Pilot (343179) Maurice Alan Collingbourne BROWN DFM (Pilot) RAF
Engineer III (579400) William Patrick EDGAR (Flight Engineer) RAF
Navigator III (230060) Percival Winston BRAYSHAW (Nav-) RAF
Signaller II (1893038) Albert William ROLFE (WOp/AG) RAF
Gunner II (2221218) Cyril Ian SHERRATT (Air Gunner) RAF

The injured man (and sole survivor) was Navigator II Brian T. Newland. According to a further local newspaper report into the death of Master Pilot Maurice Brown ("Surrey Times and Weekly Press" 25th March 1950):

"Normandy resident's pilot son killed
Master Pilot Maurice Alan Collingbourne Brown, whose parents live in Station Road, Normandy, was killed when the Lincoln aircraft, which he was piloting, crashed at Hemswell RAF Station, Lincolnshire early last Wednesday morning. The plane had been on a night cross country training flight and was returning to land in fog when the crash occurred. Five of the six members of the crew were killed.

The eldest son of Mr and Mrs J B Brown of 'Utopia', Station Road, Normandy, Master Pilot M A C Brown, who was aged 36 years, was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1934, and carried out reconnaissance work over German and Italian territory. He was awarded the D F C.

Demobilised at the cessation of hostilities, he shortly afterwards returned to the Royal Air Force, and was stationed at Hemswell at the time of the fatal crash. He leaves a widow and small son. The funeral was at Maidstone on Wednesday."

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. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.40-41
3. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?308-Avro-Lincoln-crash-1950
4. Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Mar 15, 1950 p.12: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JpgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rGQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2302,1967768&dq=plane+crash+in+london&hl=en
5. The Times Thursday, March 16, 1950
6. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-694-lincoln-b2-raf-hemswell-5-killed
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Avro_Lincoln#1950s
8. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
9. Grave of Navigator P W Brayshaw: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/135768186@N08/46355310352/
10. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s-incident-logs#1950
11. https://www.normandyhistorians.co.uk/press14.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
25-Jan-2012 00:08	ryan	Updated [Time, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]
29-Apr-2013 19:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Oct-2019 16:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Narrative]
27-Oct-2019 21:57	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
15-Dec-2020 17:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]
15-Dec-2020 17:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]
19-Dec-2020 19:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]