Date:	Friday 16 June 1950
Time:	16:30
Type:	Handley Page Halifax Met6
Owner/operator:	202 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RG843
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Croaghan Mountain, Isle of Achill, Connacht -   Ireland
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland (BFS/EGAA)
Destination airport:	RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland (BFS/EGAA)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On 16th of June 1950 RAF Halifax VI RG843 ("Y3-O") of 202 Squadron departed RAF Aldergrove, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Handley Page Halifax plane was to commence a BISMUTH meteorological survey on the west coast of Ireland and had completed the survey west of the Kerry coast. It was returning to base when the weather conditions deteriorated. The aircraft flew into extremely thick fog and crashed on very high ground of the west mountain (Croaghan Mountain) of Achill Island, RG843 and her entire crew of 8 where killed.

Squadron crew list.

Pilot: Flying Officer Ernest George Hopgood
Navigator: Flying Officer Joseph Kevin Brown
Co-Pilot: Flying Officer Michael William Horsley
Flight Engineer: Engineer I Harold Shaw
Air Signaller: Signaller I Cornelius Joseph Rogan
Air Gunner: Gunner I Martin Gilmartin
Meteorological Observer: Leading Aircraftsman James Charles Lister
Air Signaller: Signaller I Bernard Francis McKenna

According to Colin Cummings book "Last Take Off" the crash location was 53 degrees 57 minutes North, 10 degrees West (see link #3)

The majority the of wreckage from Halifax RG843 was removed from mountain shortly after the plane crash. The only visible items are four large engines that were 12 cylinder radial Bristol Hercules engines. These remain on the mountainside and are accessible by doing a hike to the south side of Corrymore lake. The crash location is now marked by a large boulder painted white and is easily spotted from Dooagh village.

1. Eyewitness reports: All the information given on this Accident description of RAF Handley Page halifax RG843 and RAF 202 Squadron the information has been given, and sourced locally in Achill island. Information was also given By local ACHILL ISLANDERS who had witnessed this plane crash on 16th of June 1950 and some information was gathered from Royal Air Force to complete this accident description. INFORMATION GATHERED AND ENTERED BY ACHILL ISLANDER KEVIN.
2. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.103. ISBN 0-85130-290
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.63
4. https://www.facebook.com/WhatsOnInAchill/posts/778660735565601
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?10904-1950-Navigation-aids-Coastal-Command
6. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/air-operations-over-ireland.13122/
7. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-handley-page-hp70-halifax-met6-achill-island-8-killed
8. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/air-operations-over-ireland.13122/#post-145782
9. Mayo News 23 June 2020: https://www.mayonews.ie/features/35481-lost-in-the-mists-of-time

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
15-Nov-2008 03:54	ACHILL ISLANDER	Updated
07-Jun-2010 01:28	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Jun-2010 10:13	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Source]
17-Feb-2012 11:45	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]
19-Aug-2013 13:27	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
30-Mar-2014 07:52	George Cairns	Updated [Source]
10-Jun-2014 12:01	ACHILL ISLANDER	Updated [Source]
13-Mar-2016 08:09	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
06-Mar-2017 21:29	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Dec-2017 13:30	Anon.	Updated [Embed code, Narrative]
23-Oct-2018 20:49	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
15-May-2019 16:58	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
30-Oct-2019 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
25-Dec-2020 23:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
25-Dec-2020 23:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]