Wratting Common - Wratting Common
Flight / Schedule
Wratting Common - Wratting Common
Aircraft
Short S.29 StirlingRegistration
LK488
Operator
Royal Air Force - RAFDate
October 19, 1944 at 01:00 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Training
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Mountains
Crash Location
Mt Mickle Fell Durham
Region
Europe • United Kingdom
Coordinates
54.6144°, -2.2995°
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On October 19, 1944 at 01:00 AM, Wratting Common - Wratting Common experienced a crash involving Short S.29 Stirling, operated by Royal Air Force - RAF, with the event recorded near Mt Mickle Fell Durham.
The flight was categorized as training and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.
7 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 85.7%.
Crew on board: 7, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was engaged in a night training exercise. En route, the pilot did not realized his altitude was insufficient and the crew was unable to distinguish the presence of the mountain due to the low visibility caused by foggy conditions. The aircraft hit the south slope of Mt Mickle Fell, skidded for some hundred yards before coming to rest in flames. The tail gunner was found alive while all six other occupants were killed. Crew (570th Squadron): F/Sgt Peter Dawbarn Young, pilot, † F/Sgt Neil Conway Burgess, navigator, † Sgt Bertram George Davis, flight engineer, † F/Sgt John Matthew Stack, bomb aimer, † F/Sgt Rex Patrick Furey, wireless operator, † F/Sgt George Child, air gunner, † W/O Alan G. Small RNZAF, tail gunner.
Aircraft reference details include registration LK488.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 54.6144°, -2.2995°.
Fatalities
Total
6
Crew
6
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
The crew was engaged in a night training exercise. En route, the pilot did not realized his altitude was insufficient and the crew was unable to distinguish the presence of the mountain due to the low visibility caused by foggy conditions. The aircraft hit the south slope of Mt Mickle Fell, skidded for some hundred yards before coming to rest in flames. The tail gunner was found alive while all six other occupants were killed. Crew (570th Squadron): F/Sgt Peter Dawbarn Young, pilot, † F/Sgt Neil Conway Burgess, navigator, † Sgt Bertram George Davis, flight engineer, † F/Sgt John Matthew Stack, bomb aimer, † F/Sgt Rex Patrick Furey, wireless operator, † F/Sgt George Child, air gunner, † W/O Alan G. Small RNZAF, tail gunner.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
7
Passengers On Board
0
Estimated Survivors
1
Fatality Rate
85.7%
Known people on board: 7
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Wratting Common - Wratting Common
Operator
Royal Air Force - RAFFlight Type
Training
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Mountains
Region / Country
Europe • United Kingdom
Aircraft Details
Aircraft
Short S.29 StirlingRegistration
LK488
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