Date:	Tuesday 13 January 1948
Time:	15:00
Type:	Vickers Wellington T Mk X
Owner/operator:	1 ANS RAF
Registration:	RP555
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
On 13th January 1948 Vickers Wellington RP555 (1 Air Navigation School) took off from RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, in the mid-afternoon so the pilot could train on instrument flying. Also on board was a second pilot who was acting as an instructor, a signaller/radio operator, and a radar mechanic The purpose of the latter was so that he could carry out radar tests during the flight.

The aircraft took off in the gusty conditions with the pilot having to use both hands to maintain lateral control, the aircraft climbed normally to 400 feet but after which the nose rose sharply. The pilot pushed the control column forward to try and make the aircraft return to level but this had no effect, full power was applied but the aircraft continued to climb at this rate until it was at about 1,000 feet. The speed of it had now dropped to 80 knots so the pilot ordered the crew to bail out before it stalled.

Only the second pilot was able to get out before the nose sank and the aircraft entered a dive from which it could not be recovered from. The survivor sustained slight injuries after being dragged by his parachute when on the ground after it caught in the strong wind. The other three had no chance to get out before it crashed and were sadly killed in the crash at 15.00 hours.

The resulting investigation found that the aircraft had been stored outside in a strong wind without any control locks been installed. The strong wind had, over time, effected the elevator control cable and it was thought that it had become disconnected. Whilst it appeared to operate normally when the control column was moved it had no effect on the elevators.

Crew of Wellington RP555:
P.2 (Warrant Officer) William Frederick Barber (1614255) pilot RAF. Of Market Harborough. Buried Market Harborough Cemetery, Leicestershire.
P2 Frederick Osmond Bosomworth (instr. pilot) RAF slightly injured.
Sig2b (Warrant Officer) Kenneth John Feary (1813068) signaller RAF, of London. Buried Highgate Cemetery, London.
AC.1 Peter Arthur Lindus (3088756) Radar Mechanic RAF . Of St Lukes, Surrey. Cremated Croydon, Surrey.

P2 Frederick Osmond Bosomworth, the sole survivor, was born 4 March 1915, and died in 1982 in Claro Wapentake, West Yorkshire.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.71. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p.361
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2405: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578251
4. 1 ANS RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1947 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1777: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101487
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-619-wellington-x-raf-topcliffe-3-killed
6. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/yorksother/rp555.html
7. https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/des-witnessed-fatal-crash-wellington-bomber-raf/story-25989944-detail/story.html
8. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/frederick-osmond-bosomworth-24-c46bpx
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Topcliffe#Cold_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
06-Jan-2015 21:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Apr-2015 20:11	Heil	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
24-Apr-2017 23:51	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source]
13-Nov-2019 19:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
27-Nov-2019 00:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source]
27-Nov-2019 11:56	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
19-Jul-2021 18:31	Anon.	Updated [Time, Location, Operator]
02-May-2023 21:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Time, Location, Operator]]
03-May-2023 09:20	Nepa	Updated [[[Time, Location, Operator]]]