No fatalities

Twin-engine training aircraft crashes into hedge during final approach at RAF Little Rissington (L7903)

Little Rissington AFB, United KingdomLanding (descent or approach)

On August 25, 1939, an Avro 652 Anson (registration L7903) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Little Rissington AFB, United Kingdom during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck a hedge because the crew performed an approach that was too low on final. 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 struck a hedge while too low on final approach during a local training flight from RAF Little Rissington, resulting in injuries to both pilots.

What happened

The incident occurred during a local training flight operated out of RAF Little Rissington. The crew was conducting a standard exercise when the aircraft began its descent for landing. As the twin-engine plane executed its final approach, it descended lower than the intended glide path. This deviation caused the airframe to collide with a hedge before impacting the ground and crashing.

Both members of the flight crew sustained injuries in the accident. The source material does not specify the severity of these injuries or provide details on the extent of the structural damage to the aircraft beyond the initial impact with vegetation.

Findings

The official investigation identified the primary contributing factor as a procedural error during the landing phase. Specifically, the findings concluded that the crew executed an approach that was too low, which directly led to the collision with the hedge and the subsequent crash.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck a hedge because the crew performed an approach that was too low on final.