Halifax DK179 at Rufforth airfield.
During the afternoon of 4th March 1944 this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was flown on a training flight. While flying at 1,000 feet and while flying in a snow shower the port outer engine began to emit smoke and flames. The crew feathered the propeller and shut down the engine which saw the flames go out. Unfortunately the pilot found the aircraft difficult to control flying on three engines but he managed to get the aircraft back into the circuit of Rufforth airfield. While flying in the area of the airfield the port inner engine then began to emit smoke and flames, the crew then lowered the undercarriage to then make a downwind landing approach but during this approach the starboard engines then emited smoke and flames. The aircraft lost height and did not make the airfield, crash landing in a field ajoining Rufforth airfield. A fire broke out and the aircraft was destroyed. Three members of the crew sustained injuries. A coolant leak in the first engine caused that to fail. The air intakes on the other engines had become blocked with snow.
Pilot - P/O Leonard George James King RAFVR (156102).