ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 72758
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| Date: | Saturday 6 November 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk XII |
| Owner/operator: | 29 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | HK140 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Knaphill, Surrey, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire |
Mosquito HK140: Took off at 14:40 hrs for training flight. 06/11/1943.
Mosquito HK140 came to grief with fatal results during an exercise on 6.11.1943. F/Sgt Mullard, who had been posted to 29 Sqn for conversion to Mosquitos prior to being posted overseas. As the Squadron had no dual-control aircraft he was given two demonstration flights and then completed 1½ hours solo flying satisfactorily. He then carried out an hour's flying with Sgt Knox acting as Observer. On the day of the accident to HK140, Mullard and Knox were detailed to participate in a GCI exercise with another Mosquito from 29 Sqn - both pilots were given verbal instructions to avoid any extensive cloud flying, particularly in cumulous.
The aircraft were airborne at 14:40hrs and the exercise was carried out above the clouds at 9,000 feet. HK140 was last seen by the crew of the other Mosquito at about 15:30hrs as it came up behind at the end of the interception exercise. At 15:36hrs Mullard radioed base that he had just entered cloud, and he was instructed to orbit to starboard. He responded that he was doing this and also reducing height. According to the log of the nearest ROC post the Mosquito crashed one minute later, with eyewitnesses reporting the aircraft diving steeply out of a large black cloud and breaking up in the air. Broke up in storm near Knaphill Surrey.
The main wreckage landed in the grounds of Knaphill Asylum, a few miles to the west of Woking, bursting into flames on impact. The detached parts were scattered downwind for over a mile. F/Sgt Mullard's body was found in the remains of the cockpit, with the body of Sgt Knox just a few yards away - there was no evidence that either of them had attempted to bale out.
Crew:
F/Sgt (1387939) Thomas Henry MULLARD (pilot) RAFVR - killed
Sgt (1350796) Ernest William KNOX (obs) RAFVR - killed
Sources:
1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.ORB 29 Sqdn RAF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Feb-2010 06:29 | NePa | Added |
| 06-Nov-2011 14:24 | Nepa | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Jul-2014 09:57 | Next | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 01-Sep-2014 13:57 | Doyle | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2015 11:28 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Location] |
| 04-Mar-2016 19:20 | Doyle | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Mar-2019 20:24 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator] |
| 06-Feb-2022 12:01 | Nepa | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
| 31-Jul-2023 20:58 | Nepa | Updated [[Nature, Source, Narrative, Operator]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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