1949 Exhall mid-air collision

The Exhall mid-air collision happened on Saturday 19 February 1949 over the village of Exhall when a British European Airways Douglas DC-3 / Douglas Dakota collided in clear weather with a Royal Air Force Avro Anson T21.[1]

1949 Exhall mid-air collision
Occurrence
Date19 February 1949
SummaryMid-air collision
SiteExhall, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
52.468°N 1.511°W / 52.468; -1.511
Total fatalities14
Total injuries0
Total survivors0
First aircraft

A similar Douglas C-47A at Manchester Ringway Airport in 1949
TypeDouglas Dakota
OperatorBritish European Airways
RegistrationG-AHCW
Flight originNortholt Airport, England, United Kingdom
DestinationGlasgow-Renfrew Airport, Scotland, United Kingdom
Passengers6
Crew4
Fatalities10
Injuries0
Survivors0
Second aircraft

An Avro Anson similar to the accident aircraft
TypeAvro Anson T21
OperatorRoyal Air Force
RegistrationVV243
Flight originRAF Middleton St. George, United Kingdom
DestinationRAF Middleton St. George, United Kingdom
Passengers0
Crew4
Fatalities4
Injuries0
Survivors0

The Dakota was on a flight from Northolt Airport near London to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport in Scotland. With a crew of four it was carrying six passengers,[2] and had taken off from Northolt at 09:13 hr.[3] The Royal Air Force Avro Anson T21 was being operated by No. 2 Air Navigation School on a cross-country training exercise from RAF Middleton St. George.[2]

The two aircraft collided at 4500 ft near the village of Exhall, near Coventry in Warwickshire.[1][2] The wreckage fell near an old peoples' home, the Exhall Lodge Hospital. There were no survivors.[2]

Although the weather at the time of the crash was clear,[4] the accident investigation concluded that the crew of neither aircraft saw each other, possibly due to glare from the sun, and blamed the accident on a failure on the part of both captains to keep a proper look-out for other aircraft.[3]

References

  1. Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  2. "14 Killed in Air Crash". News. The Times (51311). London. 21 February 1949. col D, p. 2.
  3. "Civil Aviation News:Dakota-Anson Collision". Flight (6 October 1949): 471–472.
  4. "Civil Aviation News:Dakota-Anson Collision". Flight (24 February 1949): 231.
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