Whitley Z6960 mishap in the air, landed safely.

On 14th March 1942 this 3 (C)O.T.U. Whitley was being flown on a sea search that had taken part over the North Sea. At 14.15hrs while over the southern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds the captain of the aircraft went forward to the nose of the aircraft leaving another pilot at the controls, as he was returning to the cockpit the front escape hatch gave way under his weight and he fell through bottom of the aircraft to his death. His body was found near West Hill Farm, Drewton near North Cave. The Whitley landed safely at Leconfield and later returned to the base at Cranwell.

A remarkable but unfortunate co-incidence had already occurred with this same aircraft. On 25th November 1941 another pilot, P/O Kenneth Frederick Sleight RAFVR (100074), was serving as a bomb aimer during a bombing exercise when exactly the same thing happened and he fell to his death in Lincolnshire.

Pilot - P/O Leslie Booth RAFVR (103493). Aged 25. Buried Ironville Church Cemetery, Derbyshire.

Pilot (at controls) - Sgt James Cooper RAFVR (1060747).

Whitley Z6960 was built to contract B.106912/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 7th August 1941. It was immediately flown to Rolls Royce Ltd. at Hucknall but no reason for this is yet known. It was soon passed to 3 (C)OTU at Cranwell. No damage appears to have resulted from the incidents on 25th November 1941 and 14th March 1942 after it landed safely both times, this would technically be a Cat.U/FA damage assessment. On 18th June 1942 it was ditched off Spurn Point after suffering engine failure and Cat.E/FA damage was the resulting record on the paperwork.

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