Date:	Thursday 20 August 1959
Time:	day
Type:	Handley Page Victor B.2
Owner/operator:	A&AEE Boscombe Down
Registration:	XH668
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Irish Sea, into St Brides Bay, off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Boscombe Down, Wiltshire (EGDM)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
The first prototype Victor B.2, serial number XH668 made its maiden flight on 20/2/1959.It had flown 100 hours by the time it was crashed and destroyed, on 20/8/1959 whilst on charge with "B" Sqn, A&AEE. XH668 was undertaking a high-atlitude trials flight involving high-speed manoeuvrability. A fatigue fracture induced the loss of the starboard wingtip pitot head tube, which led to a low speed input to the auto Mach trim actuator and the stall detector thus lowering the elevators and extending the leading edge flaps.

The aircraft progressed into a high speed dive from 54,000 feet. Partial structural failure preceded impact with the sea at Mach 0.855, into the Irish Sea off St Brides Bay, Pembrokeshire. There was an unsuccessful ejection by the captain just prior to impact.

The analysis of the accident was only achieved after a 14¬month sea search, which ended on 19/11/1960, during which time 46 ships were involved, 11,069 deep sea trawls were made and 592,610 pieces of wreckage recovered, amounting to 70 per cent of the aircraft.

All 5 crew missing, presumed killed:

Squadron Leader R.J.Morgan (pilot)
Squadron Leader G. B. Stockman (co-pilot)
Flight Lt L.N.Williams (navigator)
Flight Lt R.J.Hannaford (Air Electronics Officer)
Mr R.Williams (Handley Page Civilian Flight Test Observer).

Only minor changes were needed to resolve the problem that caused the crash, allowing the Victor B.2 to enter service in February 1962.

1. Air Britain: RAF Aircraft XA100 - XZ999, published 2001
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20160303210250/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/Victor.htm
3. https://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-234875.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Victor#Accidents_and_incidents
5. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1959.htm
6. http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=260
7. Wreckage recovery: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 65/1829 at
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C491514
8. Board of Inquiry Report: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 65/1850 at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C491535
9. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 233/419: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424540

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Aug-2011 08:53	Uli Elch	Updated [Operator, Location, Country, Source, Narrative]
07-May-2012 13:52	Anon.	Updated [Embed code]
22-Oct-2012 00:41	Anon.	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
17-Oct-2013 18:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
19-Oct-2014 17:31	Route	Updated [Operator, Embed code]
27-Jan-2020 15:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative]