Halifax JB927 at Skipwith Common.
During the afternoon of 13th May 1944 this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was used to flying a training exercise that involved the pupil pilot being given instruction on how to make three engined landings. During the flight the port outer propeller was feathered and the engine shut down in preparation for the landing. The aircraft was flown on the downwind leg of the airfield circuit of Riccall at around 1,000 feet and the crew lowered the undercarriage, they then descended down to 700 feet to prepare to land and to this point all appeared to be normal. They then descended to 500 feet and the flaps were lowered to slow the aircraft but both the pilot and the instructor then had trouble controlling the aircraft. It began to drift to starboard in a crosswind and then turn port and the aircraft could not be flown towards the runway concrete. The instructor took the decision that he would land on the grass but ahead was the airfield flying control hut. To clear this hut he applied power to the three engines but the aircraft did not climb. Having missed the hut the aircraft continued to loose height and turn to port. The instructor cut the power to the engines and the aircraft flew into a wood just beyond the airfield boundary at Skipwith Common. The aircraft was badly damaged and four of the crew were injured. An investigation found that the flaps had been lowered too early and the airspeed was also too low on the approach to land.
Pilot (instructor) - F/O John George Jenkins DFC RAFVR (130667). Injured.
Pilot (pupil) - F/Sgt Thomas Harold Sinclair RNZAF (NZ.391424). Injured.
Flight Engineer (instructor) - Sgt Wallace Arthur Clarke RAFVR (1604593). Injured.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Vincent Murphy RAFVR (1476541).
Navigator - Sgt Trevor Hugh Hill RNZAF (NZ.429335).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Noel Kenderdine Brabent RNZAF (NZ.422176).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Arthur Ronald Tansley Sharpe RAAF (426763). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry James Draper RAFVR (1431732).
Air Gunner - Sgt Francis McAuliffe RAAF (427602).