No fatalities

Twin-engine aircraft emergency landing in cane field near Bundaberg (AW866)

Clayton, AustraliaFlight

On November 11, 1942, an Avro 652 Anson (registration AW866) operated by Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF was involved in an aviation accident near Clayton, Australia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel starvation. 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

A twin-engine airplane made an emergency landing in a cane field south of Bundaberg due to fuel starvation. The airframe was destroyed, but all three crew members escaped without injury.

What happened

The flight encountered a critical issue involving the fuel system, which compelled the pilot to initiate an emergency procedure. Due to fuel starvation, the aircraft could not maintain normal operations and required an immediate landing. The pilot managed to bring the machine down in a cane field situated in Clayton, an area located south of Bundaberg.

Upon impact with the terrain, the airframe sustained significant structural damage that rendered it beyond repair. Despite the severity of the crash, the outcome for the occupants was positive. All three members of the crew evacuated the wreckage safely and were reported to have escaped unhurt.

Findings

The official investigation identified the root cause of the incident as a failure in the fuel supply system. The loss of fuel pressure or flow prevented the engines from functioning, leading directly to the forced landing in the agricultural area.

Probable cause

Fuel starvation