No fatalities

Aircraft ditching off Brixham coast during training flight (VV899)

Brixham, United KingdomFlight

On April 18, 1951, an Avro 652 Anson (registration VV899) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Brixham, United Kingdom in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The engine failed during the training sortie, necessitating an emergency water landing. 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 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A training flight departing from RAF Hamble resulted in an emergency ditching near Brixham, Devon, following an engine malfunction.

What happened

During a scheduled training mission originating from RAF Hamble, the crew experienced a critical engine failure while airborne. In response to the loss of power, the flight crew executed an emergency procedure to ditch the aircraft in the waters located a few miles off the coast of Brixham, Devon.

Following the impact with the sea, the aircraft sank and was subsequently lost. Emergency responders successfully located and recovered both members of the crew, resulting in zero fatalities among the personnel on board.

Findings

Official investigations into the incident concluded that the primary reason for the emergency ditching was an engine failure occurring during the flight phase.

Probable cause

The engine failed during the training sortie, necessitating an emergency water landing.