Draft:1947 Cressingham Mid Air Collision

The 1947 Cressingham Mid Air Collision was a collision that took place on November 11th, 1947 between an Avro Lancaster bomber and an De Havilland Hornet. The Lancaster was operated by the 115 RAF Squadron and was partaking in a formation flight with 5 other Lancaster bombers. The flight of bombers took off from RAF Church Fenton Airfield and the single hornet took off from RAF Witchford Airfield. The Hornet ensued in a mock attack on the rear-most Lancaster. A mock attack is a manoveur inwhich pilots are instructed to peel away from a plane about 200 yards from them, it is supposed to be performed to look like a intercept or attack on a group of planes by allied planes in a controlled airspace. The Hornet pilot, for some unknown reason however, did not peel off at the required distance for the Hornets large body. The Hornet struck second to last Lancaster registered TW647 operated by RAF Squadron 115 on the port quarter side of its rear. In the collision, the Hornet lost a wing and plummeted towards the ground, killing the pilot David Mccandlish Steedman. The Lancaster entered a shallow dive which gradually increased as it fell, the dive caused a semi-mid air breakup of the aircraft, causing the nose behind the pilots seat to break away from the aircraft as it fell. This gave the pilot time to deploy his parachute. The remaining 7 aboard the Lancaster died in the ensuing crash.

List of Dead

Lancaster

Harold Owen Scatchard, Age 27, Service Number 53733, Flight Lieutenant.

John Moore, Age 28, Service Number 1903432, Gunner

David Alvin Lloyd Edwards, Age 23,Service Number 1656102, Navigator

Alick Charles Richard Emery, Age 26, Service Number 1295723, Signaller

Geoffrey Alderson Allan, Age 27, Service Number 220654, Gunner

Peter Harry Humphreys, Age 27, Service Number 84961, Squadron Leader

William Henry Gillespie, Age 23, Service Number 166966, Flying Officer

Hornet

David Mccandlish Steedman, Age 24, Service Number 1344897, Pilot