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Bradnop, near Leek, Staffordshire, England -
United Kingdom
Phase:
En route
Nature:
Training
Departure airport:
RAF Cranage, Cheshire
Destination airport:
Narrative: On 17 February 1941, while on navigation training flight from Cranage near Holmes Chapel, Sgt Arthur Maelor Owen, the pilot of the Anson I K6283 of 2 SAN (School of Air Navigation) RAF, encountered cloud. He attempted to fly out of the cloud but the weather conditions were rapidly decreasing. He found a gap in the cloud which he followed, on exiting the cloud he was confronted by rising ground and no room to manoeuvre and the aircraft struck the ground at Bradnop, near Leek, Staffordshire.
At the time of the accident the wireless operator was changing over to regional control from the local frequency for Cranage so the wireless was effectively useless for aiding navigation during this period.
The aircraft hit the ground fairly level but it slid into a bank between two ditches which turned the aircraft over trapping the pilot in the then water filled ditch from which he did not escape. Both other crew survived with injuries.
Crew: Sgt Arthur Maelor Owen (pilot, 25) KIFA Plt Off William Pat Ferrie (navigator) WIFA Sgt A H Judkins (wireless operator) WIFA
Plt Off Ferrie went on to become a Sqd Ldr DFC AFC and was killed in the crash of Ventura V FP612 of the Iraq CF which dived into the ground when control was lost in Iraq on 25 April 1946 killing the four occupants. He is buried in Habbaniya War Cemetery Iraq.