5 fatalities

Five killed in training aircraft crash at Honeybourne (Z6639)

Honeybourne, United KingdomFlight

On June 2, 1943, an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley (registration Z6639) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Honeybourne, United Kingdom in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A local training flight ended fatally when the aircraft struck a hillside while operating in cloud conditions near Honeybourne, resulting in the deaths of all five crew members.

What happened

The incident occurred during a local training exercise conducted at Honeybourne. The pilot received a red signal from the airfield controller and subsequently initiated a circuit pattern in the vicinity of the airfield. While maneuvering in this area, the aircraft encountered cloud cover and impacted a hillside. There were no survivors; all five crew members were killed in the accident.

Findings

The official investigation determined that the crash resulted from controlled flight into terrain. The sequence of events indicates that the aircraft was under pilot control when it collided with the ground, likely due to spatial disorientation or loss of situational awareness while operating in reduced visibility conditions.

Probable cause

Controlled flight into terrain