1959 losses

13/01/1959 WM926 139 Sea Hawk FB5 802 NAS Collided over Buckie, Morayshire. WM926 crashed into the sea killing the pilot. WM939 landed at Lossiemouth but was written off. Allocated to ground instruction as A2482
13/01/1959 WM939 138 Sea Hawk FB5 802 NAS
14/01/1959 VW817   Valetta C1 84 Sqn Swung into sand after a tyre burst on landing at Firq, Oman
16/01/1959 WJ818   Canberra PR7 13 Sqn Written off in a belly-landing at Akrotiri, Cyprus after the undercarriage had jammed due to an hydraulic leak
19/01/1959 VZ302   Vampire FB5 3  CAACU Stalled while on approach to Exeter, Devon after the pilot overcorrected when the port wing dropped. It crashed inverted into a field and caught fire killing the pilot
20/01/1959 WH206   Meteor T7 Khormaksar Station Flt The pilot was unable to locate his position along the coastline off Mogadishu, Somalia and ran out of fuel. The first pilot baled out at 12,000ft but struck the tail and was killed. The second pilot baled out safely at 10,000ft
20/01/1959 TX812     Maintanence Command Comm Sqn Landed too fast on the wet grass at Andover, Hants. The wheels locked under braking and it skidded broadside until it struck a taxiway and sheared off the undercarriage. Repaired and later sold as G-AVIJ
20/01/1959 WX978 Z Meteor FR9 8 Sqn Written off after running into sand after the port tyre burst on take off from Khormaksar, Aden
21/01/1959 WW150 BY-016 Sea Venom FAW21 Airwork FRU Collided during a turn at 2,000ft following an exercise with HMS Harrier. They crashed ten miles west of Strumble Head, South Wales. Both pilots were killed
21/01/1959 XG678 BY-013 Sea Venom FAW21 Airwork FRU
26/01/1959 KJ810   Dakota C4 209 Sqn Stalled on take off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaya and burnt out after the elevators were left locked. The four crew were seriously injured
28/01/1959 WV830 A-164 Sea Hawk FGA6 803 NAS While operating in the Tasman Sea off Auckland, New Zealand the aircraft landed on HMS Albion with the nose wheel retracted
30/01/1959 XA332   Gannet AS1 817 Sqn/RAN Crashed en route from Fairey Aviation, Sydeney, to Nowra, Australia
30/01/1959 XL837 C-392 Whirlwind HAS7 845 NAS Ditched into the Mediterranean Sea off Malta from a ten foot hover while operating off HMS Centaur. A loud bang had occurred followed by the engine overspeeding. The three crew were rescued by the submarine Tally Ho which the helicopter had been exercising with
31/01/1959 WR194   Vampire FB9 RAFC WR194 had just took off from Cranwell Lincs when it was struck by XE936 which had not called up prior to joining the circuit. Both aircraft crashed killing the three crew
31/01/1959 XE936 51 Vampire T11 RAFC
02/02/1959 WV676   Provost T1 2 FTS Ran out of fuel and tipped over during the subsequent forced-landing at Shawbury, Salop. Allocated to Ternhill dump
02/02/1959 WW288 650 Sea Venom FAW21 738 NAS Shortly after a formation take off from Lossiemouth, Morayshire the aircraft hit some buildings. It then struck two telegraph poles, several trees and a 33,000 volt overhead cable before crashing in a fireball into a hillside. The pilot escaped without injury 
04/02/1959 WV838 LM-635 Sea Hawk FGA6 738 NAS The starboard tyre burst during take off from Lossiemouth, Morayshire. Take off was abandoned but it crashed through the perimeter fence. The pilot escaped uninjured
17/02/1959 XE619 C Hunter F6 1 Sqn Hit trees on approach to Stradishall, Suffolk. Diverted to Honington but crash-landed there
18/02/1959 XA569 M Javelin FAW1 87 Sqn The navigator was killed after his ejection seat fired accidentally at 10,000ft and failed to release him. The aircraft crashed near Bruggen, Germany after the pilot ejected safely
19/02/1959 WL478 R Meteor T7 RAFFC Stalled and dived into the ground three miles NE of Strubby, Lincolnshire killing the pilot
21/02/1959 XE319   Sycamore HR14 194 Sqn Spun into the ground from 400 feet killing two crew near Kuala Lumpur, Malaya after the rotor blade detached
23/02/1959 WV400   Hunter F4 229 OCU Damaged in a wheels up landing at Chivenor, Devon after the Iraqi pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage. See also 20th March 1959, Sold and repaired and to Abu Dhabi as 704
25/02/1959 XK945   Whirlwind HAS7 845 NAS Ditched into the Mediterranean Sea off Malta and sank while operating off HMS Centaur after the engine failed while in a 36 foot hover. The three crew were rescued by Whirlwind XK942
26/02/1959 WW295 222 Sea Venom FAW21 809 NAS Climbed slowly after launch from HMS Albion operating thirty miles SE of Jervis Bay, Australia. It rolled to starboard, crashed into the sea and broke up killing both crew
28/02/1959 XD967   Swift FR5 2 Sqn Written off in a belly-landing at Jever, West Germany after an undercarriage selector fault
02/03/1959 WM907 135 Sea Hawk FB5 802 NAS Fifteen seconds after launch from HMS Eagle an engine fire started due to a detached port jet pipe. An emergency landing was made back on the carrier It was sent for repair but these were not carried out. Allocated to G.I at Dartmouth as A2484
03/03/1959 WV917 C1 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS Ditched into the Mediterranean Sea off Malta after the ejector seat drogue streamed during a catapult launch from HMS Centaur
04/03/1959 XH207   Canberra B(I)8 59 Sqn Crashed into a hill three miles south of Sorpe Dam, West Germany killing both crew. It was low flying in poor weather and was between fifty and ninety miles off course
09/03/1959 XA802 D Javelin FAW2 46 Sqn Burnt out after a start up fire at Sylt, West Germany
09/03/1959 XE854 53 Vampire T11 1 FTS The pilot had indulged in unauthorised low flying outside the local flying area in order to fly over his parents house at Parkgate, near Rotherham, Yorks. He entered cloud and became disorientated. The aircraft left the cloud in a dive, struck the ground and exploded killing the pilot
12/03/1959 XE455 C-123 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS Climbed steeply after launch from HMS Centaur in the Mediterranean off Cape Bon, Tunisia. It then rolled to starboard and crashed into the sea inverted killing the pilot
18/03/1959 WJ761   Canberra B6 9 Sqn Missed the runway during a night landing at Luqa, Malta. Attempted an overshoot but touched down. The undercarriage was raised to stop and it slid into WH973 which was slightly damaged. (See 06/10/1971)
20/03/1959 WV410 ES-75 Hunter F4 229 OCU Came to rest in the river Taw after overshooting and running through the sea wall on landing at Chivenor, Devon. The aircraft disintegrated but the Iraqi pilot was only slightly hurt. He was the same pilot that was in the incident on 23/02/1957
24/03/1959 XG208   Hunter F6 26 Sqn Crashed three miles west of Gutersloh, West Germany after a flame out during an aerobatic display. The pilot ejected
29/03/1959 XA297   Cadet TX3 661 GS Written off in a flying accident at Turnhouse, West Lothian. Sold to the GSA as 264, later 1158
02/04/1959 WD385   Chipmunk T10 RAE Swung on landing at Farnborough, Hants due to mishandling by the two pilots. It ran off the right hand side of the runway and struck an aerial. Both crew were injured
07/04/1959 XK631 VF Vampire T11 CFS Crashed at Dedstone Water killing a cow. The crew had baled out over Bromyard, Herefordshire due to an engine fire
08/04/1959 XM287 C Twin Pioneer CC1 78 Sqn Force-landed at Penin on Perim Island off Aden due to fuel starvation. Caused by the pilots lack of knowledge with regard to the aircraft's fuel distribution system. All nine on board were injured, seven seriously
08/04/1959 XM288 D Twin Pioneer CC1 78 Sqn Ditched into the sea after both engines failed shortly after take off from Khormaksar, Aden. Caused by the pilots mismanagement of the fuel system. The crew were able to swim to the shore
09/04/1959 XD928 G Swift FR5 2 Sqn The pilot ejected after engine failure and landed in the North Sea. The aircraft crashed onto Rantum Beach, Wet Germany. He was unable to release himself from his chute shroud lines and so the rescue helicopter had to tow him to shore
10/04/1959 XH264   Vampire T11 28 Sqn Crashed in Tat Hong Channel, Hong Kong following engine failure. The crew ejected
11/04/1959 XK380   Auster AOP9 656 Sqn Struck a fence on take off from Ipoh Race Course, Malaya following repairs after a forced landing
14/04/1959 XM663   Whirlwind HAS7 824 NAS Suffered clutch failure while in the hover at Culdrose, Cornwall. It fell onto its side breaking off the rotor and tail section. The two crew escaped unhurt. To ground instruction at Arbroath
14/04/1959 TW572   Auster AOP6 652 Sqn Swung to starboard on take off from Bunde air strip, West Germany. The pilot over-corrected and it swung violently to port, struck a fence and ran into a ditch
21/04/1959 XG579 304 Whirlwind HAS7 815 NAS Ditched into the English Channel thirteen miles off Portland, Dorset after engine rpm dropped while in a hover at 10ft. Two crew were rescued but one was unable to escape from the cabin and drowned
22/04/1959 WE612   Auster T7 653 Sqn The pilot approached Kermia, Cyprus too slow in a strong cross wind. He applied full power after bouncing off the runway but the aircraft veered off. It crossed a ditch and nosed over on a mound of soil
24/04/1959 VM308   Anson C19 Debden Station Flt The pilot approached the airfield at  Roborough, Plymouth, Devon from the wrong direction. He swung to avoid an ambulance and came to rest in a cutting on the airfield boundary
27/04/1959 XF267   Sycamore HR14 194 Sqn Spun into the ground at Kuala Lumpur, Malaya after the rotor blade detached. The three crew were killed
28/04/1959 XF378   Hunter F6 C(A) Loan Suffered a minor fire in the rear fuselage area. It was on loan to Hawker Aviation Company at the time. The C(A) section purchased the airframe after the fire and used it for spares
29/04/1959 XB521 536 Hiller HT2 705 NAS Badly damaged at Predannack, Cornwall when it drifted downwind during a spot turn in strong winds. The pilot overpitched, it landed heavily and rolled onto its port side. The crew escaped safely. To Fleetands but declared a write off
29/04/1959 XJ397 309 Whirlwind HAR3 815 NAS Autorotated and ditched into Portland Harbour, Dorset after transmission failure. Allocated to ground instruction as A2485 at Arbroath
30/04/1959 XK941   Whirlwind HAS7 WHL Control was lost while in a hover at Yeovil, Somerset due to fatigue failure of the starboard lateral control rod. The main rotors struck the ground after the aircraft rolled to port. It came to rest on its port side and caught fire. The two crew escaped without injury
04/05/1959 XF882   Provost T1 RAFC Crashed near Londonthorpe, Linconshire after the crew abandoned the aircraft in an uncontrollable spin
05/05/1959 TX189   Anson C19 Colerne Station Flight Ground-looped on landing at Colerne, Wiltshire and sheared off the undercarriage
05/05/1959 WM986 LM-616 Sea Hawk FB3 736 NAS Crashed into a hill in a near vertical attitude at Riverlean Burn thirteen miles from Nairn, Morayshire. The pilot was killed
06/05/1959 XF996 ES-72 Hunter F4 229 OCU The pilot ejected while on approach to Chivenor, Devon after the ailerons jammed. The aircraft crashed onto Saunton Sands
11/05/1959 WN318   Meteor T7 1 Group Comm Flt Written off  in a wheels  up landing at Benson, Oxfordshire after the undercarriage jammed
20/05/1959 VV955   Anson C19 Coastal Command Flew into the Talyfan Mountains near Llanduno, North Wales while flying in cloud. It had been en-route Bovingdon to Ballykelly and had been told to divert to Valley to pick up a passenger. The three crew were killed.
23/05/1960 WZ668   Auster AOP9 656 Sqn The engine failed due to fuel starvation. Made an emergency landing on a sports field at Mentakab Camp, Malaya and came to rest against the wall of a hut
25/05/1959 WP828   Chipmunk T10 Glasgow UAS Hit the water while in a turn over the Firth of Tay seven miles from Perth
26/05/1959 WW289 437 Sea Venom FAW22 891 NAS Taxied forward out of the wire after a normal landing on HMS Centaur while operating in the Bay of Biscay approximately 150 miles off St Nazaire, France. The pilot reported having no brakes and the aircraft struck two other parked aircraft before going over starboard side into the sea. The pilot was killed and three on deck were injured
26/05/1959 VM322   Anson C19 North Coates Station Ft Swung on landing at Jurby, Isle of Man after the starboard tyre burst. It pivoted onto its nose and then fell back onto its tail severely damaging the fuselage
26/05/1959 XE453 169 Sea Hawk FGA6 804 NAS HMS Albion was operating in the Indian Ocean approximately 300 miles off Ceylon. The deck came up in rough seas when the aircraft was over the No3 wire. The pilot applied full power to go round but the hook caught No5 wire. The aircraft ditched off the port bow but the pilot was rescued
29/05/1959 TG522   Hastings C1A 114 Sqn Stalled, crashed and burnt out while on approach to Khartoum, Sudan after No 1 and 2 engine failed. Five of the thirty one on board were killed
02/06/1959 WT304   Canberra B6 139 Sqn Flew into the ground at El Adem, Libya while on a night target marking exercise. The three crew were killed
03/06/1959 WL481   Meteor T7 RAFFC The crew abandoned the aircraft after the elevator failed six miles SE of Driffield, Yorkshire
03/06/1959 XK663   Comet C(RCM)2 51 Sqn During the night the aircraft was engulfed by flames and damaged beyond repair in No.4 hangar at Watton, Norfolk. A Lincoln and Varsity that were also in the hangar were dragged out before the fire spread. The centre fuselage was completely destroyed and it was concluded that an inspection lamp that had been left turned on in the Comet’s under floor servicing bay may have been the cause. This left the squadron with only two Comets to carry out its highly classified tasking
07/06/1959 WZ880   Chipmunk T10 Bristol UAS Failed to recover from a spin at Winterborne near Filton, Gloucestershire during aerobatics The pilot abandoned the aircraft at the last moment after trying unsuccessfully to release the cadet, who was killed
08/06/1959 WG217   Balliol T2 SoFC Written off when the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Hurn, Hampshire
12/06/1959 VV640   Vampire FB5 Ferry Wing Crashed into the Bristol Channel while on approach to Llandow near St Athan, Glamorgan. The pilot was killed
16/06/1959 WH256   Meteor F8 Takali Station Flt The pilot abandoned take off from Takali, Malta due to difficulty in control column movement. It overshot through the boundary fence, across a road, through a stone wall and came to rest in a field
18/06/1959 VZ357   Vampire FB5 5 FTS Written off when it ran into Vampires WE846 and XD463 after the starboard brake failed while taxying at Oakington, Cambs. The other aircraft were only damaged
20/06/1959 XA750 A-164 Javelin FAW4 3 Sqn Spun into the ground killing both crew when the pilot lost control after attempting a slow roll after take off from Norvenich, West Germany. It was returning to Geilenkirchen after having been in the static display at Norvenich Open Day
22/06/1959 WR475   Venom FB4 8 Sqn The ammunition door opened on take off from Khormaksar, Aden. The pilot was killed when during an attempted emergency landing it stalled and crashed
25/06/1959 XG696 442 Sea Venom FAW21 891 NAS Bolted after a heavy landing on HMS Centaur. It struck two parked Sea Hawks and then climbed away slowly and crashed into the Mediterranean. The crew ejected
03/07/1959 WA681   Meteor T7 81 Sqn Suffered a wheels up landing at Tengah, Singapore at night
03/07/1959 TG580   Hastings C1A 48 Sqn Swung off the runway at Gan, Maldive Islands when the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed after a heavy landing
05/07/1959 WT331   Canberra B(I)8 88 Sqn Struck the water during an asymmetric overshoot at Sharjah, Oman in bad weather. The crew were able to evacuate the aircraft safely
07/07/1959 XA772   Javelin FAW4 72 Sqn An engine cut on take off from Leconfield, Yorks. It made a safe landing but was later declared a write off
08/07/1959 WJ649   Canberra B2 231 OCU Returned to base at Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire after the starboard engine rpm dropped. Control was lost and the aircraft yawed to port when the pilot allowed speed to drop too low. It dived into the ground killing the three crew
09/07/1959 WV745   Pembroke C1 El Adem Station Flt Ran off the runway and into a ditch on landing at Akrotiri, Cyprus following brake failure
09/07/1959 XH750 R Javelin FAW7 33 Sqn Crashed into a barley field near Tavenham Rectory near Norwich, Norfolk after engine failure caused by a lightning strike. The crew ejected safely
13/07/1959 XD955 D Swift FR5 79 Sqn Caught fire in flight over West Germany due to a hydraulic fluid failure. Landed back at Gutersloh but it was declared a write off
15/07/1959 WL480   Meteor T7 12 Group Comm Flt Yawed during a low speed over-shoot at Leconfield, Yorkshire with the undercarriage extended. It rolled onto its back, struck the ground and burst into flames killing the pilot
17/07/1959 XD961 K Swift FR5 79 Sqn Crashed two miles east of Gutersloh, West Germany following engine failure. The pilot ejected safely
20/07/1959 XD627   Vampire T11 RAFC Struck the tops of trees after the student left it too late to recover from a dive during a dummy rocket attack. Returned to Cranwell, Lincs but was found to be damaged beyond repair
20/07/1959 XG584 306 Whirlwind HAR3 815 NAS Ditched into Portland Harbour, Dorset after the engine cut, restarted then cut again. The three crew were rescued by a civilian boat. Salvaged and allocated to ground instruction at Arbroath as A2487
23/07/1959 WB676   Chipmunk T10 654 Sqn Written off in a flying accident in West Germany
24/07/1959 XA891   Vulcan B1A/B2 Avro Aircraft Co Thirty seconds after take off from Woodford three generators failed due to a major electrical fault. The aircraft climbed to a safe height for abandonment with increasing control difficulty. No 4 engine then began to fail and the two FTOs baled out. The aircraft then became uncontrollable and the radio operator baled out and the two pilots ejected. The aircraft crashed into a field near High Hunsley near Hull, Humberside
29/07/1959 XA465 234 Gannet AS4 810 NAS Damaged when it made an emergency wheels up landing on HMS Centaur and ran into the barrier. Off loaded in Singapore for repair, but was declared a write off
30/07/1959 XH789 K Javelin FAW7 64 Sqn Overshot the runway on landing at Akrotiri, Cyprus due to hydraulic failure
31/07/1959 XJ766 M Whirlwind HAR2 22 Sqn Suffered engine failure during a search for a swimmer and ditched into Constantine Bay, Padstow, Cornwall. The crew escaped safely
04/08/1959 WL142   Meteor F8 APS WL142 crashed into the North Sea off Sylt, West Germany after losing its tail following a collision with WK864, which landed safely
04/08/1959 WK864   Meteor F8 APS
04/08/1959 WJ362   Auster AOP6 652 Sqn Crashed in West Germany
05/08/1959 VM305   Anson T22 A&AEE Flew into the undershoot area on landing at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire due to pilot error. Both crew were injured
07/08/1959 XF986 RS-11 Hunter F4 229 OCU Failed to recover from a spin during erobatics and hit the ground at Youlton Farm, Sutcombe SW of Bideford, Devon after the pilot had ejected over Milton Dameral
12/08/1959 VX600   Dragonfly HR5 HMS Centaur Ships Flt Ditched into the Arabian Sea 8 ½ miles off Karachi, Pakistan after an engine explosion while at 100ft. The crew were rescued
20/08/1959 XH668   Victor B2 A&AEE While at 54,000ft the starboard wing tip pitot tube detached due to fatigue failure. This led to an input to the stall detector which extended the leading edge flaps and lowered the elevators. The aircraft entered a high speed dive and began to break up, crashing into the sea off St Brides Bay off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. The captain ejected just prior to impact but was killed along with the other four crew. Over a 14 month period 46 ships were involved in the salvage operation which involved 11,069deep sea trawls which recovered 592,610 pieces of wreckage which amounted to 70% of the aircraft
24/08/1959 WP982   Chipmunk T10 Leeds UAS Badly  damaged  after  hitting a fire extinguisher trolley while taxying at Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire. It was rebuilt as G-ARDW
25/08/1959 XF425 H Hunter F6 74 Sqn Collided at 10,000ft at night when joining up to carry out unauthorised aerobatics. One Pilot ejected safely but the other had not removed the safety pin from the firing handle on his seat and was killed when the aircraft crashed. XF425 crashed near the River Yare, Buckenham, Norfolk while XF502 crashed into a wood at Langley
25/08/1959 XF502 K Hunter F6 74 Sqn
26/08/1959 WT540   Canberra PR7 13 Sqn Yawed during an asymmetric approach to Akrotiri, Cyprus after the port engine failed. It belly landed off the runway
27/08/1959 WN124 S Swift FR5 79 Sqn Crashed into the River Wiesser five miles west of Rinteln, West Germany after the pilot ejected following engine failure
28/08/1959 WW266 016 Sea Venom FAW21 Airwork FRU Crash-landed at Brawdy, Pembroke following loss of power after take off
01/09/1959 XH775 E Javelin FAW7 23 Sqn During a night interception XH781 flew into the back of XH775 at 26,000ft over Brundell, Norfolk. The crew of XH781 were killed while the other crew ejected safely
01/09/1959 XH781 J Javelin FAW7 23 Sqn
07/09/1959 WR400 A Venom FB4 208 Sqn Ran into a ditch when taxying at Eastleigh, Kenya after the brakes failed
08/09/1959 WT335   Canberra B(I)8 88 Sqn Rolled at low altitude and flew into the ground at Hochneukirch, West Germany. Both crew were killed
09/09/1959 XE648 H Hunter F6 56 Sqn The brakes failed on landing at Nicosia, Cyprus. The pilot raised the undercarriage to stop but it ran into a fence
11/09/1959 XD869   Valiant B(K)1 214 Sqn Crashed in a tail down attitude four miles east of Marham, Norfolk shortly after a night take off for a direct flight to Nairobi. All six crew were killed. The aircraft had not been test flown following 22 days of servicing and the accident was possibly caused by the tail plane incidence switch working in reverse. After take off the pilot would have operated the switch to select nose down trim, it in fact selected runway trim. Instead of reducing power and pushing the stick forward the pilot increased power and pulled back on the stick
14/09/1959 WH982   Canberra B6 9 Sqn Force-landed and caught fire 1¼ miles SSW of Idris, Libya after both engines failed on take off. The crew escaped safely
15/09/1959 WW194 652 Sea Venom FAW21 738 NAS Aborted take off from Lossiemouth, Morayshire. It ran off the runway into a field and caught fire. Allocated to A2488
17/09/1959 XE307   Sycamore HR14 103 Sqn The rotors hit the ground causing the aircraft to roll over during a crash-landing at Nicosia, Cyprus following engine failure. The crew escaped safely
17/09/1959 XA424 CU-283 Gannet AS4 814 NAS Crashed at Winkleigh, North Devon during an air display rehearsal
19/09/1959 WW297 VL-737 Sea Venom FAW21 766 NAS Collided  during  the Battle of Britain display at Chivenor, Devon. WW297 crashed into a field half mile from Yelland Power Station. XG617 crashed onto Braunton Marshes
19/09/1959 XG617 VL-733 Sea Venom FAW21 766 NAS
20/09/1959 WZ709   Auster AOP9 656 Sqn During take off for a leaflet dropping sortie from Temerloh airstrip, Malaya the starboard wing dipped and the aircraft veered to starboard. It lifted 2-3ft off the ground and then crashed through a fence and was damaged beyond repair. The pilot had not removed the rudder lock prior to take off.
22/09/1959 WT953 421 Skyraider AEW1 849 NAS Ditched off the Lofoten Islands, Norway while on a sortie from HMS Victorious after the crew became lost and the aircraft ran out of fuel. They were rescued by a Russian trawler
22/09/1959 VX122   Auster AOP6 652 Sqn Landed too far along an air strip in West Germany during an emergency landing due to bad weather. It ran into a hut and a fence and then ground looped before coming to a standstill
23/09/1959 WJ514   Anson T21 Binbrook Station Flt Swung on landing at Leeming, Yorkshire causing the tail wheel to collapse
24/09/1959 XE385 109 Sea Hawk FGA6 800 NAS During a test flight from Lee-On- Solent, Hants the control column jammed fully aft while over Ford, Sussex. The pilot pointed the aircraft out to sea and ejected. He was unfortunately killed
24/09/1959 XF884 DM Provost T1 RAFC Written off when it ground looped at Barkeston Heath, Lincs after the undercarriage collapsed on landing. The pilot escaped safely
28/09/1959 XG575 760 Whirlwind HAR3 737 NAS Ditched into the English Channel five miles off Portland, Dorset after transmission failure. The three crew were rescued by a submarine
29/09/1959 XA662 N Javelin FAW5 228 OCU Crashed thirty miles west of Leeming, Yorkshire after the crew had ejected following double engine failure
29/09/1959 XD398   Vampire T11 Butterworth Sation Flt Damaged beyond repair in Malaya
01/10/1959 XL628   Lightning T4 English Electric Co Crashed into the Irish Sea off the Isle of Man after the tail fin detached during rapid rolling tests at 35,000ft. The pilot ejected, this being the first successful supersonic ejection in a British aircraft. He spent almost 29 hours in the water before landing on a beach at Wigtown Bay
02/10/1959 WF835   Meteor T7 5 FTS The aircraft entered a spin during the climb out from low level. The pilot was unable to regain control and both crew abandoned the aircraft before it crashed at Oakington, Cambridgeshire. The student did not open his chute and was killed
04/10/1959 WR421   Venom FB4 60 Sqn Belly landed on the grass at Tengah, Singapore with the undercarriage jammed up
06/10/1959 WV566   Provost T1 1 FTS Collided in mid air but managed to return to base although they were both later deemed to be damaged beyond economical repair. They were sold back to Hunting Aircraft Ltd. WV566 was used for stress testing
06/10/1959 WV578   Provost T1 1 FTS
07/10/1959 WW213 437 Sea Venom FAW22 891 NAS Broke out of the catapult during launch preparations on HMS Centaur while operating off the Philippines. It went over the port side killing both crew. Caused by the fracture of the catapult hold back ring
12/10/1959 XK490   Buccaneer S1 A&AEE Control was lost when the pilot flew the aircraft in an unauthorised low speed blown condition and simulated single engine failure. It stalled at 10,000ft, spun and impacted the ground inverted near Lyndhurst, Hants. Both crew ejected too late and were killed
14/10/1959 XH720 G Javelin FAW7 33 Sqn Swung on landing at Nicosia, Cyprus due to hydraulic failure causing the undercarriage to collapse
15/10/1959 XA117 VL-944 Sea Vampire T22 Yeovilton Station Flt Ran off the end of the runway during an emergency landing at Brawdy, Pembrokeshire. Emergency caused by a rough running engine due to turbine blade fractures
15/10/1959 WZ495   Vampire T11 5 FTS WZ495 collided with XE897 during a change of formation as part of a display practice. WZ495 dived inverted into the ground at Elsworth, Cambs killing the pilot. XE897 landed back at Oakington but was found to be damaged beyond repair
15/10/1959 XE897   Vampire T11 5 FTS
16/10/1959 XE445 C-128 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS Collided at 12,000ft off the Philippines coast. The tail of XE445 was sliced off and the pilot ejected safely. He was picked up from the sea by a helicopter from USS Lexington. Although damaged, XE343 landed back onto HMS Centaur. It was offloaded and eventually returned to the UK by ship but never flew again
16/10/1959 XE343 C-120 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS
19/10/1959 WF381 14 Varsity T1 ETPS Control was lost during an asymmetric safety speed assessment. Full power was applied to one engine but the aircraft entered a steep climb, stalled and spun into the ground four miles north of Tangmere, Sussex. Both crew were killed
20/10/1959 WZ725   Auster AOP9 656 Sqn During servicing at Noble Field, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaya a bent longeron and strut were discovered. The damage was sustained between 2nd and 20th October either by a heavy landing or by the starboard wheel striking an object. Six pilots had flown the aircraft in that time. It was not repaired
22/10/1959 XH761   Javelin FAW9 Ferry Sqn At the start of a ferry flight to Benson the No 2 & 3 hydraulic warning lights illuminated just as the aircraft became airborne off from Moreton Vallence, Gloucestershire. The pilot abandoned take off but the aircraft overran the runway, crossed a road and came to rest in a ploughed field. The pilot escaped safely. Returned to the manufactures for rebuild but was used for spares
23/10/1959 XG561   Pioneer CC1 209 Sqn Lost a wing after hitting a radio mast on take off from Ipoh, NW Malaya in bad weather. It crashed killing the two crew
26/10/1959 WK304   Swift FR5 2 Sqn Crashed four miles ESE of Jever, West Germany after the pilot ejected following loss of power.
29/10/1959 WE377   Venom FB1 28 Sqn The brakes failed during an emergency landing at Kai Tak, Hong Kong. It ran off the end of the runway and into the sea
01/11/1959 WZ870   Chipmunk T10 Duxford Station Flt Struck the runway lights on take off from Duxford Cambridgeshire and tipped over during the subsequent emergency landing. Allocated to ground instruction as 7624M.
10/11/1959 XD281 R-190 Scimitar F1 807 NAS Crashed near Loch Earn, Aberfoyle, Perthshire after the controls locked. The pilot ejected safely
10/11/1959 XF953 Hunter F4 RAFFC Struck a flock of seagulls while at 300ft, one of which hit the port intake and passed through the engine. Landed back at Strubby, Lincs but was declared a write off
11/11/1959 XJ641 G Hunter F6 93 Sqn Contact was lost after the pilot had called a practice pan. No trace of the aircraft or pilot was ever found. It is thought that he descended through cloud and flew into the North Sea off Leewarden, Holland
17/11/1959 WA413   Vampire FB5 3/4 CAACU Written off in a ground accident at Exeter
18/11/1959 WL424   Meteor T7 APS Ran out of fuel and force-landed on a beach 2 miles SE of Grinstead, Denmark. The rear crew member baled out at only 250ft and was killed. The pilot remained with the aircraft and survived
18/11/1959 WR531   Venom FB5 8 Sqn Crashed at Khormaksar, Aden following a bird strike
19/11/1959 XD266 V-155 Scimitar F1 803 NAS The arrestor wire parted while landing on HMS Victorious while operating in the Mediterranean off the Balearic Islands. It ran off the side of the ship into the sea. The pilot escaped unhurt and was rescued by SAR Dragonfly VX598
20/11/1959 WV179 V-432 Skyraider AEW1 849 NAS Ditched into Caglian Bay while on route to HMS Victorious after the engine failed and caught fire
24/11/1959 WF984   Devon C1 ETPS The pilot failed to select the master air valve on prior to take off from Farnborough, Hampshire and was therefore unable to raise the undercarriage. He did not apply sufficient power and climbed to only 300ft before descending and crashing into trees. Both crew were killed
28/11/1959 WH699   Canberra B2 RAFFC Control was lost shortly after take off from Strubby, Lincolnshire. The crew ejected and the aircraft crashed two miles SW of the airfield. The navigator did not release from his seat and was killed
09/12/1959 WP501   Dragonfly HR5 HMS Vial Ships Flt Lost power on take off from HMS Vidal. It ditched into the Indian Ocean 500 miles off the Somali Republic and sank. The crew were rescued
14/12/1959 XE448 126 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS Due to a total hydraulics failure it made a wheels and flaps up landing on HMS Centaur while operating in the Pacific Ocean off Brisbane, Australia. It caught the No1 wire and then ran into the barrier. Off loaded in Singapore and scrapped
19/12/1959 XL828   Sycamore HR14 Khormaksar SAR Flt Lurched to  starboard when the pilot closed the throttle after landing on soft ground 32 mile NNE of Ahwar, Aden. He increased power but ground resonance occurred causing the main rotors to strike and shatter the nose and cockpit perspex
29/12/1959 XE443 C-127 Sea Hawk FGA6 801 NAS Caught fire after a fuel spillage from the front tank during catapult launch from HMS Centaur while operating in the Tasman Sea off Sydney, Australia. The pilot was rescued after it ditched ahead of the ship
30/12/1959 XE830 45 Vampire T11 1 FTS Entered a left hand diving turn while on approach to Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire at night and struck the ground 1½ miles from the airfield killing the pilot

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