FlightFinder
Check my flight
No fatalities

Engine Failure Forces Crash Landing of RAF Aircraft near Amiens (FW555)

Amiens, FranceFlight

On September 29, 1951, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress (registration FW555) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Amiens, France in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Engine failure in flight. 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 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

During a return flight from a NATO exercise, an RAF aircraft experienced engine failure, leading to a crash landing in a field near Amiens. All eight crew members were unhurt.

Incident Details

The crew was returning to their base at RAF Waddington following a NATO exercise designed to test western defenses at the East/West German border. En route, the number three engine failed. Shortly thereafter, the propeller blades from the failed engine sheared off and struck the number four engine. The crew initiated an emergency descent of 20,000 feet and decided to divert to Amiens-Glisy Airfield for an emergency landing. However, the aircraft eventually crash landed in a field located near Amiens. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crew

The crew, assigned to the 57th Squadron, consisted of the following personnel: Cpt Gus Walker (pilot), F/Lt Conley (copilot), F/Sgt Martin (navigator), Sgt Holt, Sgt Pringle, F/Lt Ford, F/Lt Allison, and F/Lt Stan. All eight crew members were unhurt.

Aftermath

The aircraft was destroyed in the crash landing. No injuries were reported among the crew.

Probable cause

Engine failure in flight.
Engine failure

Related events

Same operator

More accident analyses