Date:	Thursday 19 April 1945
Time:	13:00
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	49 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	ME357
MSN:	EA-C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, 5 miles off Skegness, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I ME357/EA-C, 49 Squadron, RAF. Written off (destroyed) 19 April 1945 when crashed into the sea 5 miles off Skegness, Lincolnshire at 13:00hrs

The aircraft was on a air-to-ground firing training sortie at low level, when the pilot passed out (loss of consciousness) with the aircraft at just 200 feet above sea level. The aircraft was at such a low altitiude in order to release a number of targets onto the sea for the air gunners to fire at

Although Lancaster ME357 crashed into the sea, all eight crew survived and took to the on-board dinghy before the aircraft finally sank. A subsequent Board of Inquiry attributed the incident to the pilot passinbg out after being unwell, possibly due to food poisoning.

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer David Idwall Hytch RAF 56206 (NCO:645724 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 12 December, 1944)
Flight Engineer : Sergeant J Dodgson RAF 1062716
Navigator : Flight Sergeant T M Harrison RAF
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant K Read RAF
Wireless Operator : Sergeant K Scott RAF
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Gordon Broadbent RAF 221805
Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant R H Williams RCAF
Ground Crew : Leading Aircraftman L F Tyler RAF

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999.
2. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985).
4. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#apr
5. 12 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 30 April 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/169/8 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8408327
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/ME295-ME379/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/March/prt1/2.html
8. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/meseries/me357
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._49_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Fiskerton#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Feb-2025 17:54	Dr. John Smith	Added
20-Apr-2025 06:21	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]