Lysander near Malton.

On the 31st of December 1941 this Lysander was undertaking drogue towing, probably off the Yorkshire Coast. The engine began to fail and sputtered badly at 3000 feet. The pilot jettisoned the drogue cable and whilst attempting a forced landed near Malton but the aircraft struck a hedge. The undercarriage was broken off and the aircraft came to a halt in a field soon after at 11.30hrs somewhere along side the Castle Howard Road, Malton. Damage was reported as Cat R(b), the pilot survived, although it is not known if he was the only one on the aircraft at the time. The aircraft was taken away for repair. The Yorkshire Air Museum quote the site as being along side the Malton to Coneysthorpe Road near Trigger Castle. The AM1180 crash card states near Thorpe Manor, Malton.

The aircraft was built to contract 23637/39 by Westland's at Yeovil and converted during production to a TT IIIA. It was delivered to MU storage in December 1940 but not issued to a unit until 28th April 1941 when it was taken on charge with 60 OTU at Leconfield. 60 OTU moved to East Fortune on 4th June 1941 but T1630 was transferred to 54 OTU at Church Fenton on the same date. It suffered Cat R(b)/FA damage in the incident at Malton on new years eve 1941 and taken away to be repaired in works. After repair it was issued to 52 OTU at Aston Down on an unspecified date in 1942. Late the same year it moved to 55 OTU at Annan, eventually ending it's days at an MU store where it was struck off charge on 16th July 1943.

Pilot - P/O R Bradwell RAF. He had a total of 348 hours flying time when this incident occured.

I have yet to locate the crash site.