5 fatalities

1946 Air Ambulance Crash on Broad Crag (X7394)

Mt Broad Crag, United KingdomFlight

On August 30, 1946, a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (registration X7394) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Mt Broad Crag, United Kingdom in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft collided with high terrain while flying in bad weather at low altitude. 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 military Dominie air ambulance crashed into high ground in the Lake District on August 30, 1946, killing all four people on board during a flight from Glasgow to Kent.

What happened

On Saturday, 30 August 1946, a Dominie aircraft, which is a military variant of the civilian Dragon Rapide, departed Abbottsinch near Glasgow. The mission was an air ambulance operation intended to transport a seriously ill patient to Rochester in Kent for medical treatment. The flight plan included a stop at RNAS Stretton near Warrington, likely for refueling.

During the first half of the journey, the aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. While flying at an altitude of approximately 2,500 feet, the plane struck high ground on Broad Crag, which is part of the Scafell range in the Lake District. The impact resulted in the death of all four individuals on board: the pilot, a second crew member, a medical attendant, and the patient.

Search efforts began the following morning when an Anson aircraft located the wreckage. The RAF Mountain Rescue team subsequently conducted a ground search under severe weather conditions to recover the bodies, which was completed by Sunday evening.

Probable cause

The aircraft collided with high terrain while flying in bad weather at low altitude.