14 June 1966 – H Fairweather and Co Ltd, London – Cessna 337A Super Skymaster – G-ATJO – Pilot unknown - Transit.
Location - Near village of Stallingborough, North East Lincs
The Cessna departed from Teeside Airport County Durham for Leavesden, Hertfordshire on the 14th June 1966. This crash was as a result of a mid-air collision between Cessna 337 G-ATJO and RAF Vickers Varsity WF333 ( see previous page ). The Cessna crashed near Stallingborough killing the pilot, name unknown, who was the sole occupant.
Registration of the Cessna was cancelled as "aircraft destroyed" 14/6/1966.
Any further information re this incident will be welcome. I know it was reported in the paper at the time and I had a cutting re this which seems to have gone astray.
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Summary of the accident report from Flight Magazine 18th May 1967.
A RAF Vickers Varsity, on a navigation training flight from Lindholme, and a Cessna 337A Skymaster, on a flight from Tees-side Airport to Leavesden, collided at about 6,500ft in VMC over Stallingborough, near Grimsby, Lincs on the 14th June 1966. The Skymaster crashed, killing the pilot, and the Varsity made an emergency landing with the rudder jammed to port. Two crew members had baled out, one of whom fell from his harness and was killed; the other landed safely.
In his report the Inspector of Accidents stated that it was not clear whether the Cessna flying at the time in uncontrolled airspace in the Preston Flight Information Region was in Visual Meteorological Conditions. Because of quadrantal rule it was in the process of changing flight level (from FL75 to 60) due to a change in track (from 141° to 201°). The Varsity was under Midland Radar surveillance.
On the flight to Lindholme the Varsity's captain reported 6/8ths cumulus with tops 5,000ft and 7/8ths strato-cumulus with base 8,000ft. Visibility is believed to have been good shortly before the collision.
Ottringham VHF Omnidirectional Range ( VOR ) was used by the Cessna as a turning point; the stand-by transmitter was in use from 09:35 on the day of the accident (which happened at 10:06), and the main transmitter was switched on again at 10:00 hrs, the changeover transmission lapse time being between 65 and 85 seconds.
This may have caused the Cessna pilot to become pre-occupied with checking his VOR receivers in addition to descending from FL75 after passing Ottringham VOR. He might also have been engaged in adjusting power, setting up new bearings on the omni-bearing selectors, filling in the flight log and preparing to inform Preston Ai r Traffic Control Centre of his passage over Ottringham VOR.
The Varsity's pilots were engaged in approach checks just prior to the collision. Their aircraft was under surveillance by the Midland Radar Unit and they had been warned of other traffic in the area — later identified as the Cessna — but the latter's track was lost due to its response fading from the radar screen. Both Captain and co-pilot had looked for the aircraft on receipt of this warning and reported that they were unable to locate the other aircraft.
The accident, stated the Inspector, emphasised the importance of maintaining an adequate lookout at all times and ensuring that vigilance was not relaxed when cockpit drills were carried out or when other distractions from routine flight occurred.
With regard to the disappearance of the Cessna from the radar scope, tests with an identical aircraft showed the equipment to have adequate cover. On the day of the accident, it was concluded, the lower performance may have been due to one or more factors. These are listed in the report as:-
1/ Anomalous propagation of radar waves due to atmospheric conditions
2/ Small changes in sensitivity and power output of the radar.
3/ Slight variations in the relative positions of the aircraft and radar antennae caused by differences, due to wind effect, between trial tracks and actual track flown
The Cessna was a write off as I believe was the Varsity.
Compiled and edited by David Fell. Photo courtesy of Brian Nichols.
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