Fokker F12

Det Danske Luftfartselskab - DDL

The three engine airplane christened 'Merkur' crashed in unknown circumstances at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

British Airways

The aircraft was employed on the regular night mail service between Gatwick and Hanover and the crash occurred on the return flight from Hanover when the pilot was preparing to approach the vicinity of Gatwick Airport. The pilot Hattersley was, in fact, on his first ever return flight on this route with this type of aircraft, although he had flown the double journey four times previously in a DH.86. On the flight in question the pilot had been flying in cloud over most of the route and particularly over England. The weather conditions were bad with lots of low cloud at about 200 metres and there was a strong NE wind reaching as much as 60kn/h at ground level. The pilot navigated by means of W/T bearings sent from Croydon, Lympne, Pulham and Gatwick. Hattersley successfully brought the Fokker through cloud to the vicinity of the airport, and his engines were clearly heard from the ground. Control told him that they had heard him and sent a further five bearings in quick succession - no acknowledgement was received for the last bearing and the Fokker sent no further messages. Repeated attempts were made to communicate with G-AEOT but without success. Gatwick then telephoned every local police station in an endeavour to learn whether anyone had heard anything of the aircraft. A search party, including the airport ambulance and fire engine, set out. At 0610 the wireless operator (C.G.V. Wheeler) of the missing aircraft telephoned the control officer at Crawley and stated that the machine had crashed to the south of Crawley. The local ambulance was informed and it left immediately for the scene of the accident. G-AEOT had crashed into trees on Round Hill, 4 miles south of Gatwick Airport. It was upside down and extensively damaged, with the fuselage completely broken up. The flight engineer, G.R.C. Blowers, was lying injured on the ground near the machine, and Hattersley and the second pilot, V.C.W. Bredenkamp, were both dead in the wreckage. Source: http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=925.0

British Airways

The crew was on its way from London to Madrid to deliver the aircraft to the Spanish Nationalists Air Force. En route, crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog and decided to divert to La Rochelle-Lagord Airport. On landing, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft went out of control and skidded for several yards before coming to rest with its left wing and left engine partially sheared off. While both crew were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew: Mr. Czarkowski 1.

British Airways

The crew was on its way from London to Madrid with an intermediate stop in Biarritz to deliver the aircraft to the Spanish Nationalists Air Force. On approach to Biarritz-Parme Airport, crew encountered an unknown situation and decided to make a go around. While trying to climb, the three engine aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in an open field. Both crew were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by post crash fire. It is not clear if the crew was attempting a first, a second or a third approach when the accident occurred. It is also possible that the aircraft was hit by lightning as the weather conditions were marginal at the time of the accident. Crew: Mr. Lasocki, Mr. Morawski.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij

The three engine aircraft christened 'Leeuwerik' left Leipzig-Halle Airport at 1314LT with a crew of five and two passengers on board. At 1435LT, the radio navigator informed ground about his position some 10 km north of Kassel. Five minutes later, while cruising at a height of 1,000 meters, he contacted again the ground to inform about poor weather conditions and low visibility caused by snow falls. He also requested for weather forecast in Essen, the next stop before Amsterdam. Captain decided to reduce his altitude to 450 meters and completed two successive turns when the aircraft hit the side of a hilly terrain located some 15 km east of Brilon. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire, and all seven occupants were killed. Crew: P. Soer, pilot, E. A. J. Prillwitz, copilot, P. Welman, H. Wingelaar. Th. J. van den Klein, engineer. Passengers: H. L. A. Briel, W. de Vlugt.