4 fatalities

Twin-Engine Training Aircraft Crash at Bala (LT238)

Bala, United KingdomFlight

On April 4, 1945, an Avro 652 Anson (registration LT238) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Bala, United Kingdom in flight. 4 people were killed. 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 twin-engine aircraft crashed into a prairie in Bala while on a training mission from RAF Bishops Court, resulting in the deaths of all four crew members aboard.

What happened

The incident occurred during a routine training exercise originating from RAF Bishops Court. At the time of the accident, the twin-engine aircraft was maintaining an altitude of 8,000 feet. The flight path was interrupted when the machine went out of control and began an uncontrolled descent toward the ground.

During this rapid drop, the structural integrity of the airframe failed, causing the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air before impacting the terrain. The wreckage came to rest in a prairie area within Bala. Post-accident inspections confirmed that no fire broke out following the impact.

All four individuals on board were killed in the crash. The crew consisted of the pilot and three other service members assigned to the 7th Air Fighting Unit.