ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 17647
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 4 March 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Airspeed Oxford Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | PFNTU RAF |
| Registration: | NM683 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Rushup Edge, 1 mile South of Edale, Peak District, Derbyshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Warboys, Cambridgeshire |
| RNAS Stretton, Warrington |
Written off (destroyed) 4 March 1945, when crashed at Rushup Edge, 1 mile South of Edale, Peak District, Derbyshire. All four crew on board survived, although all were injured.
The crew were briefed for a day time cross country and map reading exercise from RAF Warboys in Cambridgeshire to RNAS Stretton near Warrington, where they were to land and refuel, and then return.
They took off at 11:20 and climbed to 2,000 feet on course for Stretton. About 40 minutes later Acting Flt Lt Gipson reported that he had to turn to port to avoid an area of low cloud and then corrected his course to starboard after passing the cloud. At this point he noticed that the cloud base was covering the hills ahead but “considered it safe to continue flying beneath it” however he decided to climb to 5,000 feet.
After some 10 minutes they began to descend, Gipson recalled seeing the altimeter showing 1,000 feet but nothing beyond that. At this point the aircraft struck the northern side of Rushup Edge near Edale. The aeroplane crashed flat on the hill and though injured, all on board survived. Luckier still, a fire didn’t break out, and locals afterwards were amazed at the sight; it looked as though the aircraft had landed on the steep hillside as if pinned like a butterfly
It has also been reported that the crew attempted to remain below cloud and that the action of trying to stay beneath the weather caused them to find themselves flying up a valley with the hills on either side obscured by cloud and rising ground directly ahead of them. This version of events is not recorded on either of the two available accident record cards or in the unit’s records.
The low cloud which claimed NM683 would, the following day, lead to the crash of Proctor HM324 only a few miles to the south. This was also the second loss in the Peak District for the Pathfinder Force Navigation Training Unit, who had only two days earlier, lost Mosquito KB206 near Leek, Staffordshire
Crew of Oxford NM683:
Flt Lt (175002) Frederick Brian Gipson DFC (Pilot) RAFVR -injury
Flt Lt (145857) Douglas Ivor Jones DFC - RAFVR - injury
Flt Lt W.J.Barclay DFC - RAAF - injury
Flying Officer V.P.Skene-Rees - RAFVR - Injury
As is shown above, all four aircrew were holders of Distinguished Flying Crosses, and were experienced in their individual trades. A small amount of wreckage - most notably the undercarriage legs - still remains at the crash site. A photo of this wreckage (taken in 2010) exists - see link #2
Sources:
1. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/peak-district/airspeed-oxford-nm683-rushup-edge/
2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pasujoba44/4827007319
3. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-sites-5/airspeed-oxford-nm683-rushup-edge-peak-district/
4. http://peakwreckhunters.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/airspeed-oxford-mki-nm683.html
5. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1945/archives/crash-of-an-airspeed-as-10-oxford-in-united-kingdom-9/]
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Apr-2008 12:07 | Nepa | Added |
| 19-Jan-2016 20:22 | Charlie Harper | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2017 16:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2017 17:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport] |
| 31-Jul-2017 17:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2018 19:44 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation