Halifax JP197 near Copt Hewick.
On the night of 17th / 18th October 1944 this 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was to have been flown on a cross country training flight and the crew took off from Dishforth at 22.39hrs. Unfortunately as the aircraft became airborne the pilot accidentally operated the bomb door lever instead of the flap lever, this resulted in the bomb doors open and the flaps remaining extended. He then compounded the error in pushing the flap lever to fully open instead of closed. With the flaps extended and the bomb doors open additional drag resulted and the aircraft lost what height it had. A forced landing was made in a field around two miles west of Dishforth airfield at 22.42hrs which would put the location as being just north of Copt Hewick. The wireless operator sustained injuries but he was well enough to be posted to 408 Squadron with the rest of the crew on 11th December 1944.
Pilot - F/O R E Hutcheon RCAF (J/25645).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt A Bell RCAF (R/208095). Injured.