No fatalities

Night Training Accident Involving Emergency Field Landing (K6271)

Barnstaple, United KingdomFlight

On January 15, 1940, an Avro 652 Anson (registration K6271) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Barnstaple, United Kingdom in flight. No fatalities were reported. 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 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

Aircraft made an emergency landing in a field during a night training mission due to unknown reasons and poor visibility. Both pilots escaped uninjured, but the airframe was destroyed.

What happened

During a night training mission, the flight crew encountered an unspecified issue that necessitated an immediate response. The aircraft was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a nearby field. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were characterized by poor visibility. Following the impact with the ground, the airframe sustained extensive damage and was declared beyond repair. Both members of the crew managed to evacuate the wreckage and escaped without sustaining any injuries.

Findings

The specific technical or operational cause for the emergency landing was not identified in the available records. The accident occurred under challenging low-visibility conditions during a training exercise, resulting in the total loss of the aircraft despite no human casualties.