Sutton Wick air crash

The Sutton Wick air crash occurred on 5 March 1957 when a Blackburn Beverley C Mk 1 heavy transport aircraft, serial number XH117, of No. 53 Squadron RAF crashed at Sutton Wick, Drayton, Berkshire, England, following a shut-down of one engine and partial loss of power on another. Shortly after take-off, No. 1 engine was shut down as a precautionary measure then whilst on final approach back to RAF Abingdon, No. 2 engine failed to respond to throttle inputs. The aeroplane struck cables and trees 18 minutes after lifting off.

Of 17 passengers and five crew aboard, all but four were killed in the accident. Two people on the ground were also killed.

An investigation found that a non-return valve in the fuel system had been installed the wrong way round causing two of the engines to be starved of fuel. The technician found responsible for incorrectly fitting the valve was charged under the Air Force Act. Following the accident, the non-return valve was re-designed so it could not be installed incorrectly.

Two RAF officers who took part in the rescue after the crash were highly praised for "refusing to give up while there was hope of finding survivors among the wreckage."

Flight history

The Secretary of State for Air, George Ward, described the crash to the House of Commons. The Beverley took off from RAF Abingdon near Abingdon-on-Thames bound for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. It was carrying cargo, a relief crew, eight RAF police dog handlers and eight police dogs. There was low cloud at 500 ft, visibility was less than 1000 ft, and an easterly wind of 10 kn.

As the aircraft climbed, No. 1 engine on the port wing developed a fuel leak. The flight crew responded by shutting down the engine and feathering its propeller. The flight crew declared an emergency and requested an instrument approach to RAF Abingdon. The controller alerted emergency services on the ground. A short time later, cockpit instruments alerted the flight crew to a large loss of fuel from No. 2 fuel tank, the second of four such tanks in the port wing. In an effort to stop the leak, the crew de-activated the fuel cocks and boosters for the No. 2 tank, but left them on for the No. 1 tank. As the Beverley turned on to final approach for RAF Abingdon the crew attempted to increase power from the remaining three Bristol Centaurus engines but No. 2 engine – also on the port wing – failed to respond and the aircraft began to lose speed and height.

Knowing he could not reach the airfield, the captain tried to land in a field. However, the aircraft became uncontrollable and struck a number of high tension cables and a group of elm trees that tore the port wing from the fuselage. On impact with the ground, the aircraft destroyed a caravan and a prefabricated house before somersaulting and crashing upside down. John Dawson was in the garden of the Red Lion at Drayton and described what he witnessed:

The aircraft crashed at 11:00 am, 18 minutes after take-off, near Sutton Wick, 2 mi south of Abingdon. 50-year-old Muriel Binnington lived in the prefabricated house. Eyewitness Eric Webb said it was "swept away", and she must have been killed instantly. A 19-year-old called John Matravers from the Southern Electricity Board was in one of the houses to read the electricity meter and was also killed. The tail section of the aircraft crashed on a farmhouse near the main wreckage, trapping and seriously injuring Margaret Stanton in the kitchen of the house. She was later freed by emergency workers.

The distance by air from Abingdon to Akrotiri is at least 2067 mi. At the Beverley's cruising speed of 173 mph the flight could be expected take about 12 hours. The plane was therefore carrying a large amount of fuel, and on impact this rapidly caught fire.

A newspaper reported: "Wreckage was scattered over three-quarters of a mile and the force of the explosion sent the main part of the fuselage and tailplane tearing back over the field into the farmyard, carrying with it an inferno fuel and debris." Emergency workers worked for several hours to free survivors and bodies from the charred fuselage

Two civilians on the ground, three crew, 15 passengers and a number of RAF Police dogs were killed in the initial impact and ensuing fire. Two crew, two passengers and one RAF Police dog survived.