1940 Brocklesby mid-air collision
Encyclopedia
On 29 September 1940, a mid-air collision
occurred over Brocklesby
, New South Wales, Australia. The accident was unusual in that the aircraft involved, two Avro Anson
s of No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF, remained locked together after colliding, and then managed to land safely. Both navigators bailed out after the aircraft struck, followed shortly afterwards by the injured pilot of the lower Anson. The pilot of the upper Anson, however, found that he was able to control the interlocked aircraft using his aileron
s and flaps
, coupled with the still-functioning engines on the machine underneath. He was then able to make a successful emergency landing in a paddock
near Brocklesby. All four crewmen survived the incident, and the Ansons were repaired and remained in service with the Air Force.
(No. 2 SFTS), based at RAAF Station Forest Hill
near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, was one of twenty new pilot training facilities formed during World War II in response to Australia's participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme
. Having undergone basic aeronautical instruction at an Elementary Flying Training School, pupils received further instruction at SFTS that focussed on techniques they would require as operational (or "service") pilots, including instrument flying, night flying, cross-country navigation, advanced aerobatics, formation flying, dive bombing, and aerial gunnery. No. 2 SFTS's facilities were still under construction when its first course commenced with Avro Anson
s on 29 July 1940.
On 29 September 1940, two Ansons took off from the Forest Hill air base for a cross-country training exercise over southern New South Wales. Tail number
N4876 was piloted by Leading Aircraftman
Leonard Graham Fuller, 22, from Cootamundra
, with Leading Aircraftman Ian Menzies Sinclair, 27, from Glen Innes
, as navigator. Tail number L9162 was piloted by Leading Aircraftman Jack Inglis Hewson, 19, from Newcastle
, with Leading Aircraftman Hugh Gavin Fraser, 27, from Melbourne
, as navigator. Their planned route was expected to take them first to Corowa
, then to Narrandera, and finally back to Forest Hill.
, near Albury
, when they made a banking turn. Fuller lost sight of Hewson's aircraft beneath him and the two Ansons collided amid a "grinding crunch of metal and tearing of fabric". They remained jammed together, Fuller's Anson "piggybacking" Hewson's. Both of the upper aircraft's engines had been knocked out in the collision but those of the one below continued to turn at full power as the interlocked Ansons began to slowly circle. Fuller found that he was able to control the "crazily coupled" aircraft with his aileron
s and flaps
, and began searching for a place to land. The two navigators, Sinclair and Fraser, bailed out, followed soon after by the lower Anson's pilot, Hewson, whose back had been injured when the propeller of the other plane sliced through his fuselage.
Having travelled five miles (eight kilometres) since the collision, Fuller successfully made an emergency 'pancake' landing in a large paddock
four miles south-west of Brocklesby, coming to rest after sliding some 200 yards (182.9 m) across the grass. As far as Fuller was concerned, the touchdown was better than any he had made when practising 'circuits and bumps' at Forest Hill airfield the previous day. His acting commanding officer, Squadron Leader Cooper, declared the choice of improvised runway "perfect", and the landing itself as a "wonderful effort". The RAAF's Inspector of Air Accidents, Group Captain Arthur "Spud" Murphy
was quickly on the scene, along with his deputy Henry Winneke
. Fuller told Murphy:
40,000 worth of military hardware. Both aircraft were repaired, the top plane (N4876) returning to flight service, and the lower (L9162) being used as an Instructional Airframe. Hewson was treated for his back injury at Albury District Hospital
and returned to active duty, graduating from No. 2 SFTS in October 1940. He was discharged from the Air Force as a Flight Lieutenant
in 1946. Sinclair was discharged in 1945, also a Flight Lieutenant. Fraser was posted to Britain and served as a Pilot Officer
with No. 206 Squadron RAF, based in Aldergrove
, Northern Ireland. He and his crew of three died on 1 January 1942 during a routine training flight, when their Lockheed Hudson
collided with a tree.
Fuller was promoted to sergeant
after his successful landing, but also confined to barracks for fourteen days, reportedly for speaking about the incident to the newspapers without authorisation. Graduating from No. 2 SFTS in October 1940, he went on to serve first in the Middle East, and then in Europe with No. 37 Squadron RAF, earning the Distinguished Flying Medal
for his actions over Palermo
, Italy, in 1942. He was commissioned soon after receiving the award, and subsequently posted back to Australia as a Flying Officer
, becoming an instructor at No. 1 Operational Training Unit
in Sale
, Victoria. Fuller died near Sale on 18 March 1944, when the bicycle he was riding collided with a bus.
On 26 January 2007, a memorial to the 1940 collision, featuring an Avro Anson engine, was opened during Brocklesby's Australia Day
celebrations.
Mid-air collision
A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually...
occurred over Brocklesby
Brocklesby, New South Wales
Brocklesby is a small village situated north-west of Albury and west of Holbrook in Greater Hume Shire Council in the Riverina area of New South Wales. Nearby neighbours are Walbundrie to the north and Howlong to the south.-Historical significance:Brocklesby village was once a main railway...
, New South Wales, Australia. The accident was unusual in that the aircraft involved, two Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s of No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF, remained locked together after colliding, and then managed to land safely. Both navigators bailed out after the aircraft struck, followed shortly afterwards by the injured pilot of the lower Anson. The pilot of the upper Anson, however, found that he was able to control the interlocked aircraft using his aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
s and flaps
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
, coupled with the still-functioning engines on the machine underneath. He was then able to make a successful emergency landing in a paddock
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
near Brocklesby. All four crewmen survived the incident, and the Ansons were repaired and remained in service with the Air Force.
Training school and flight details
No. 2 Service Flying Training SchoolNo. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF
No. 2 Service Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. It was formed in July 1940, under the command of Group Captain Frederick Scherger...
(No. 2 SFTS), based at RAAF Station Forest Hill
RAAF Base Wagga
RAAF Base Wagga is located in the New South Wales town of Wagga Wagga, in the suburb of Forest Hill.The RAAF no longer controls the airfield which, although still owned by the Commonwealth of Australia, is currently leased to the Wagga Wagga City Council...
near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, was one of twenty new pilot training facilities formed during World War II in response to Australia's participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. Having undergone basic aeronautical instruction at an Elementary Flying Training School, pupils received further instruction at SFTS that focussed on techniques they would require as operational (or "service") pilots, including instrument flying, night flying, cross-country navigation, advanced aerobatics, formation flying, dive bombing, and aerial gunnery. No. 2 SFTS's facilities were still under construction when its first course commenced with Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s on 29 July 1940.
On 29 September 1940, two Ansons took off from the Forest Hill air base for a cross-country training exercise over southern New South Wales. Tail number
Tail number
A tail number refers to an identification number painted on an aircraft, frequently on the tail.Tail numbers can represent:* An aircraft registration number * United States military aircraft serials-See also:...
N4876 was piloted by Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Leading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) Leading aircraftman (LAC) (or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a rank in some air forces, between aircraftman and senior aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller....
Leonard Graham Fuller, 22, from Cootamundra
Cootamundra, New South Wales
Cootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...
, with Leading Aircraftman Ian Menzies Sinclair, 27, from Glen Innes
Glen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
, as navigator. Tail number L9162 was piloted by Leading Aircraftman Jack Inglis Hewson, 19, from Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, with Leading Aircraftman Hugh Gavin Fraser, 27, from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, as navigator. Their planned route was expected to take them first to Corowa
Corowa, New South Wales
Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. Corowa is the administrative centre of Corowa Shire...
, then to Narrandera, and finally back to Forest Hill.
Collision and emergency landing
The Ansons were at an altitude of 1000 feet (304.8 m) over the township of BrocklesbyBrocklesby, New South Wales
Brocklesby is a small village situated north-west of Albury and west of Holbrook in Greater Hume Shire Council in the Riverina area of New South Wales. Nearby neighbours are Walbundrie to the north and Howlong to the south.-Historical significance:Brocklesby village was once a main railway...
, near Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
, when they made a banking turn. Fuller lost sight of Hewson's aircraft beneath him and the two Ansons collided amid a "grinding crunch of metal and tearing of fabric". They remained jammed together, Fuller's Anson "piggybacking" Hewson's. Both of the upper aircraft's engines had been knocked out in the collision but those of the one below continued to turn at full power as the interlocked Ansons began to slowly circle. Fuller found that he was able to control the "crazily coupled" aircraft with his aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
s and flaps
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
, and began searching for a place to land. The two navigators, Sinclair and Fraser, bailed out, followed soon after by the lower Anson's pilot, Hewson, whose back had been injured when the propeller of the other plane sliced through his fuselage.
Having travelled five miles (eight kilometres) since the collision, Fuller successfully made an emergency 'pancake' landing in a large paddock
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
four miles south-west of Brocklesby, coming to rest after sliding some 200 yards (182.9 m) across the grass. As far as Fuller was concerned, the touchdown was better than any he had made when practising 'circuits and bumps' at Forest Hill airfield the previous day. His acting commanding officer, Squadron Leader Cooper, declared the choice of improvised runway "perfect", and the landing itself as a "wonderful effort". The RAAF's Inspector of Air Accidents, Group Captain Arthur "Spud" Murphy
Arthur William Murphy
Air Commodore Arthur William Murphy DFC, AFC, FRAeS was a senior engineer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force . He accompanied Captain Henry Wrigley on the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, a feat that earned both men the Air Force Cross...
was quickly on the scene, along with his deputy Henry Winneke
Henry Winneke
Sir Henry Arthur Winneke AC, KCMG, KCVO, OBE, KStJ, QC was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and Governor of Victoria.- Early life and career :...
. Fuller told Murphy:
Aftermath
The "freak flying experience" garnered news coverage around the world, and put Brocklesby "on the map". By preventing the Ansons from crashing, Fuller was credited not only with sparing Brocklesby possible destruction, but also with saving approximately £Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
40,000 worth of military hardware. Both aircraft were repaired, the top plane (N4876) returning to flight service, and the lower (L9162) being used as an Instructional Airframe. Hewson was treated for his back injury at Albury District Hospital
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and returned to active duty, graduating from No. 2 SFTS in October 1940. He was discharged from the Air Force as a Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
in 1946. Sinclair was discharged in 1945, also a Flight Lieutenant. Fraser was posted to Britain and served as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
with No. 206 Squadron RAF, based in Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove was a Royal Air Force station situated northwest of Belfast. It adjoined Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area...
, Northern Ireland. He and his crew of three died on 1 January 1942 during a routine training flight, when their Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
collided with a tree.
Fuller was promoted to sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
after his successful landing, but also confined to barracks for fourteen days, reportedly for speaking about the incident to the newspapers without authorisation. Graduating from No. 2 SFTS in October 1940, he went on to serve first in the Middle East, and then in Europe with No. 37 Squadron RAF, earning the Distinguished Flying Medal
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
for his actions over Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy, in 1942. He was commissioned soon after receiving the award, and subsequently posted back to Australia as a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
, becoming an instructor at No. 1 Operational Training Unit
No. 1 Operational Training Unit RAAF
No. 1 Operational Training Unit was an operational training unit of the Royal Australian Air Force formed at Nhill, Victoria on 8 December 1941. Advanced operational flying training and instruction began at Nhill on 22 December 1941....
in Sale
Sale, Victoria
Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon...
, Victoria. Fuller died near Sale on 18 March 1944, when the bicycle he was riding collided with a bus.
On 26 January 2007, a memorial to the 1940 collision, featuring an Avro Anson engine, was opened during Brocklesby's Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
celebrations.