No fatalities

Night training exercise fuel exhaustion and emergency landing (N4997)

Wistow, United KingdomFlight

On August 13, 1941, an Avro 652 Anson (registration N4997) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Wistow, United Kingdom in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inability to localize the flare path during the return leg of a night training exercise. 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

During a night training flight from RAF Upwood, the crew ran out of fuel after failing to localize their position. They executed an emergency landing in a pasture between Wistow and Bury, resulting in no injuries.

What happened

The aircraft was conducting a night training exercise departing from RAF Upwood. During the return leg to base, the pilot encountered difficulties localizing the flare path. As the fuel reserves were depleted, the crew initiated an emergency landing procedure in a pasture situated between the villages of Wistow and Bury. The airplane crash landed on the ground and sustained damage that rendered it beyond repair. All six occupants on board remained uninjured during the incident.

Findings

The primary contributing factor to the event was the pilot's inability to localize the flare path while returning from the training exercise, which led to a fuel exhaustion situation necessitating an off-airfield emergency landing.

Probable cause

Fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inability to localize the flare path during the return leg of a night training exercise.