Date:	Monday 23 August 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III ASR
Owner/operator:	236 OCU RAF
Registration:	SW361
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near RAF Kinloss, Morayshire, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Kinloss, Morayshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B.III (ASR) 236 OCU, RAF Kinloss: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 23-8-1948 when stalled and dived into the ground on overshoot from RAF Kinloss, Morayshire, Scotland. The crew was completing a training sortie at RAF Kinloss. The final approach was completed in heavy cross winds (up to 50 knots) and during the last segment, the captain decided to abandon the landing procedure and started a go around manoeuvre. During initial climb, while at a height of 250 feet, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion. All eight crew members were killed.

Crew of Lancaster SW361 (all killed 23-8-48):

Pilot IV Leonard Gordon Grant, RAF (pilot)
Pilot IV James Henry Spiller, RAF (2nd pilot)
Engineer IV Robert Charles Fryer, RAF (Flight Engineer)
Navigator IV Kenneth William Boodie, RAF (Navigator)
Signaller Kenneth Lake, RAF (WOp/Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Henry Arbury, RAF (Instructor)
Signaller Arthur Munton, RAF (WOp/Air Gunner Instructor)
Signaller Cyril Vernon Woods, RAF (Instructor)

Probable cause: The exact cause of the accident remains unknown but it is possible that the pilot lost control of the aircraft due to the heavy cross winds.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.53. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 53)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.422
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 139)
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2422: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578268
6. 236 OCU ORB for the period 1-8-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1640: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101350
7. http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic317-135.html
8. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-683-lancaster-iii-raf-kinloss-8-killed
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kinloss#Cold_War
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._236_Operational_Conversion_Unit_RAF#No._236_OCU

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
21-May-2010 13:42	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Nature]
10-Mar-2013 15:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Dec-2018 09:11	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Operator]
01-Dec-2019 22:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]