5 fatalities

Twin-Engine Aircraft Crash on Mount Moel Eilio (N4981)

Mt Moel Eilio, United KingdomFlight

On November 20, 1942, an Avro 652 Anson (registration N4981) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Mt Moel Eilio, 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 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft crashed into the south slope of Mount Moel Eilio near Caernarfon due to limited visibility, resulting in the deaths of all five crew members.

What happened

The incident occurred while the aircraft was navigating through a valley under conditions of limited visibility caused by cloud cover. During this phase of flight, the twin-engine airplane struck the terrain on the south slope of Mount Moel Eilio. The crash site was located approximately 10 kilometers southeast of Caernarfon, in close proximity to the village of Betws Garmon.

The impact resulted in fatal injuries for everyone on board. All five crew members were killed in the accident. The personnel consisted of a pilot, two observers, and two wireless operators who also served as air gunners. No survivors were reported from this event.

Findings

Official investigations concluded that the primary factor leading to the disaster was controlled flight into terrain. This determination indicates that the aircraft remained under the control of the crew until it impacted the ground, likely due to the challenging environmental conditions and restricted visual references during the approach to the mountainous area.

Probable cause

Controlled flight into terrain