 A B-24 Liberator similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 November 1945 (1945-11-22) |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site | Broadway Pound, Somerset, England 50°57′41″N 2°56′00″W / 50.9614°N 2.9333°W / 50.9614; -2.9333 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Consolidated Liberator C Mk VIII |
| Operator | 53 Squadron, Royal Air Force |
| Registration | KH126 |
| Flight origin | RAF Merryfield |
| Destination | India |
| Occupants | 27 |
| Passengers | 22 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 27 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The 1945 Broadway Consolidated Liberator crash occurred on 22 November 1945 when a Royal Air Force Consolidated Liberator C Mk VIII transport crashed shortly after take-off from RAF Merryfield with the loss of all 27 on board.
The Liberator (serial number KH126) was being operated by 53 Squadron on a trooping flight from RAF Merryfield to India. It failed to gain enough height to clear a hill. It struck a tree and crashed at White's Farm near Broadway Pound, six miles from the airfield. It burst into flames with the loss of the five-man crew (all but one were Polish) and 22 Army passengers.
Investigation
The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error. The captain completed the first turn to the left after takeoff about 700 feet too low, at about 800 feet instead of the minimum 1,500 feet as mentioned in the departure procedures. Low visibility and poor weather conditions were considered as contributory factors.
See also
References
- ^ "27 Killed In Air Accident." Times 23 November 1945: 4. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 July 2015.
- Halley 1999, p. 19
- "ASN Wikibase Occurrence #25125". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom: Air-Britain (Historians) Litd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
| Consolidated B-24 Liberator family | |
|---|---|
| Bombers | |
| Transports | |
| Trainers | |
| Reconnaissance | |
| Drones | |
| Topics | |
| Notable aircraft | |
| Aviation accidents and incidents in 1945 (1945) | |
|---|---|
| Jan 8 China ClipperJan 10 American Airlines Flight 6001Jan 31 Australian National Airways Stinson crashFeb 1 Avro York crashFeb 23 American Airlines Flight 009Mar 5 Resko Przymorskie Dornier Do 24 crashMar 27 Liberator Commando disappearanceApr 23 USAAF Boeing B-17 Isle of Man crashJul 12 Eastern Air Lines Flight 45Jul 28 B-25 Empire State Building crashOct 5 Elvetham air crashOct 5 National Airlines Flight 16Oct 12 Beiping C-46 crashNov 3 Honolulu Clipper forced landingNov 22 Broadway Liberator crashDec 6 Flight 19Dec 19 RAAF Douglas C-47 disappearance | |
| 1944 ◄ ► 1946 |
| Aviation accidents and incidents in the United Kingdom in the 1940s | |
|---|---|
| 1942 |
|
| 1943 |
|
| 1944 |
|
| 1945 |
|
| 1946 |
|
| 1947 |
|
| 1948 |
|
| 1949 |
|
| Accidents and incidents in Crown Dependencies and current Overseas Territories are marked with an asterisk (*). 1930–1939 ◄ 1940–1949 ► 1950–1959 | |
  | This article related to the history of England is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- Accidents and incidents involving Royal Air Force aircraft
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1945
- Aviation accidents and incidents in England
- Accidents and incidents involving the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
- Aviation accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
- 1945 in England
- 1945 disasters in the United Kingdom
- Disasters in Somerset
- November 1945 events in the United Kingdom
- English history stubs