ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25793
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| Date: | Wednesday 15 August 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster B Mk III GR |
| Owner/operator: | 37 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | RF306 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mediterranean Sea, off the cost of Libya near Tripoli -
 Libya
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Luqa, Malta |
| RAF Luqa, Malta | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III(GR) RF306, 37 Squadron, RAF: Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract 239/SAS/C4 (c). Part of an order for 105 Lancasters, serials RF198 to RF326. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 15-08-51 when crashed Mediterranean Sea, off the cost of Libya near Tripoli
According to the Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78), the history of Lancaster RF306 was as follows...
02-05-45: Delivered to the RAF at 38 MU RAF Llandow, Glorgan, and taken on charge
19-07-46: Transferred to Cunliffe Owen at Southampton for modifcations to Lancaster B.Mk.III(GR) specification
17-09-46: Returned to RAF Charge at 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire
23-03-48: Returned to Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft, Baginton, Coventry for further modifications
29-06-48: Notified as "awating collection" after completion of work
01-07-48: Returned to RAF charge as 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire for short-term storage
23-09-48: Transferred to 15 MU RAF Wroughton and prepared for service issue
11-10-48: Allocated to RAF Middle East Command, and flown Wroughton-Manston-Luqa
16-10-48: Taken on charge by RAF Middle East Command at Luqa, Malta
28-10-48: Taken on charge by 37 Squadron, RAF
31-05-49: Returned to 15 MU RAF Wroughton, Wiltshire for Cat.2 servicing
07-07-49: Returned to 37 Squadron RAF Luqa, Malta (arrived next day, 08-07-49)
02-10-50: To 137 MU RAF Luqa, Malta, for servicing
09-01-51: Returned to 37 Sqaudron, RAF Luqa, Malta
15-08-51: Cat.5(m) FA - flying accident, aircraft missing - see below for details...
Aircraft engaged in low-level sortie during "Exercise D.M.X. 1951" (from 12-08-51 to16-08-51). The crew was completing a maritime patrol flight over the Mediterranean Sea out from RAF Luqa. While flying at a very low height over the sea off the Libyan coast, the pilot realized the situation and decided to increase his altitude. While pulling on the control column, the base of the empennage hit the water surface, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea few miles off Tripoli. A crew member was killed while five others were rescued. The aircraft was lost into the Mediterranean Sea, off the cost of Libya near Tripoli.
Sources:
1. Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78) for Lancaster RF326: http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/RF295-RF326/mobile/index.html
2. http://www.aviationinmalta.com/MilitaryAviation/AccidentsMilitary/19501959/tabid/651/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
3. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-683-lancaster-gr3-tripoli-1-killed
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-May-2010 11:36 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location] |
| 21-May-2010 13:31 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Nature, Damage] |
| 29-Sep-2012 12:01 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Jan-2013 05:14 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 22-Jun-2021 18:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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