5 fatalities

Loss of anti-submarine patrol aircraft over Bay of Biscay (EW921)

Bay of Biscay, WorldFlight

On October 20, 1942, a Lockheed L-414 Hudson (registration EW921) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Bay of Biscay, World in flight. 5 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 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A military aircraft departed RAF St Eval for a patrol mission over the Bay of Biscay but failed to return, resulting in the loss of all five crew members without trace.

What happened

The aircraft departed from RAF St Eval on an operational mission designated as an anti-submarine patrol. The flight path was directed over the waters of the Bay of Biscay. During this operation, the aircraft failed to return to its base of origin. It is believed that the machine crashed into the sea during the mission.

The incident resulted in the total loss of the airframe and all personnel on board. The crew consisted of five individuals: a pilot, a navigator, and three air gunners. All members of the crew were lost without trace, with no survivors recovered from the site.