4 fatalities

Twin-engine training aircraft crash near Sawmills kills four (VS502)

Sawmills, ZimbabweFlight

On June 17, 1949, an Avro 652 Anson (registration VS502) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Sawmills, Zimbabwe in flight. 4 people were killed. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft crashed near Sawmills during a training sortie from Thornhill Airfield, resulting in the deaths of all four crew members on board.

What happened

The incident involved a twin engine aircraft operating out of Thornhill Airfield. The flight was designated as a training mission when it went missing approximately two hours after departure. No distress signal was transmitted by the crew prior to the impact. The wreckage was located several hours later in an uninhabited area near Sawmills. All four individuals on board were killed in the accident.

Findings

The specific circumstances leading to the crash remain unknown based on the available information. The absence of a distress call and the discovery of the debris field in a remote location are key elements of the initial report.