Halifax LK871 at Topcliffe airfield.
On 15th January 1945 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was carrying a regular seven-man Halifax crew and also a pilot and flight engineer from another trainee crew. They begun a basic night flying exercise of flying a series of circuits and landings around Topcliffe airfield. During the first take off run at Topcliffe airfield the aircraft swung to starboard which the pilot managed to correct and the aircraft took off. The crew made the circuit and touched down at Topcliffe at 18.50hrs but as power was applied for the second take off the same thing happened and it swung again to starboard. Before the swing could be corrected the starboard main wheel ran off the edge of the runway. The port tyre then burst and the aircraft ground looped causing the port undercarriage to collapse. At the time of this accident the pilot (F/O Mooney) had only gained twenty minutes solo flying at night in the Halifax all of which was probably gained on this date. Halifax LK791 sustained repairable Cat.A(c) damage, the two engines on the port side were damaged while the ones on the starboard side did not hit the ground and were not damaged. The nine airmen involved in this mishap were new to flying the Halifax and it was almost certainly the pilot's first experience of the effects of a swinging aircraft. The crew were not medically examined and two hours later were ordered to undertake the same circuits and landings exercise in a fresh aircraft, Halifax LK878. As it turned out not being medically examined was a factor in their second incident in the night. At 20.55hrs the same nine airmen (standard crew of seven plus two of another crew) took off from Topcliffe just before 21.00hrs and soon after taking off the starboard outer engine failed. This probably resulted in the inexpereienced pilot finding that he could not get the aircraft to climb as would be needed to avoid rising ground around a third of the way around the airfield. The aircraft crashed near the village of Felixkirk and as a result of the crash all on board died.
This second incident involving in Halifax LK878 is recorded on it's own webpage.
A Court of Inquiry found that flying controllers at Topcliffe were at fault for allowing the flight to continue without the crew being medically checked. One officer was removed from flying control duties which another was reduced to a less senior position.
Pilot - F/O Frank William Mooney RCAF (J/38975).
Pilot - F/Sgt Geoffrey Walton RAFVR (1578741).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Albert Russel Robson RCAF (R/223493).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Michael Richard O'Sullivan RAFVR (1799564).
Navigator - F/O James Alexander McCrea RCAF (J/40900).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Duncan Pearson McGregor RCAF (J/40652).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Aloysius Savy RCAF (R/202506).
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Angus John MacDonell RCAF (R/283114).
Rear Gunner - Sgt Leonard Charles Stavenow RCAF (R/283110).