1954-02-12: Avro 696 Shackleton (WL794) — Royal Air Force - RAF — Gozo Island, Malta

10 fatalitiesGozo Island, MaltaFlight

A military training mission involving an aerial attack simulation ended in a fatal crash into the Mediterranean Sea near Malta.

What happened

During a scheduled training exercise, a flight departed from Luqa Airfield with the objective of performing a simulated aerial attack against the submarine HMS Tudor. While the aircraft was executing a maneuver at a low altitude, the pilot-in-command lost control of the plane.

The resulting crash occurred in the sea, approximately seven kilometers southwest of Gozo Island, Malta. The impact resulted in the deaths of all ten crew members onboard.

Findings

  • The accident took place during a low-altitude turn.
  • Loss of control by the pilot-in-command was the primary factor leading to the impact.

Probable cause

The pilot lost control of the aircraft while performing a low-altitude turn during a training mission.