1 fatality

Ditching off Knokke-Heist results in one fatality (G-AHZN)

Knokke-Heist, BelgiumFlight

On September 26, 1946, a Handley Page H.P.70 Halifax VIII (registration G-AHZN) operated by London Aero & Motor Services - LAMS was involved in an aviation accident near Knokke-Heist, Belgium in flight. One person was killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 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 pilot ditched an aircraft off the coast of Knokke-Heist due to technical issues and navigation failures. Three crew members survived, but a passenger drowned.

What happened

During an enroute flight phase, the pilot experienced significant technical difficulties that prevented the reception of Radio Navigation Directional Bearings. Facing the risk of fuel exhaustion, the decision was made to ditch the aircraft in the waters off Knokke-Heist during the early morning hours.

The aircraft came to rest approximately 100 yards offshore before eventually sinking. While the three crew members successfully swam to the beach and survived the incident, one passenger, identified as a Norwegian citizen, drowned. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was transporting a cargo of grapes.