| Occurrence summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 February 1949 |
| Type | Mid-air collision |
| Site | Exhall, Warwickshire, United Kingdom |
| Total injuries | 0 |
| Total fatalities | 14 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
| Type | Douglas Dakota |
| Operator | British European Airways |
| Tail number | G-AHCW |
| Flight origin | Northolt Airport, England, United Kingdom |
| Destination | Glasgow-Renfrew Airport, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 10 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
| Type | Avro Anson T21 |
| Operator | Royal Air Force |
| Tail number | VV243 |
| Flight origin | RAF Middleton St. George, United Kingdom |
| Destination | RAF Middleton St. George, United Kingdom |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Exhall mid-air collision happened on Saturday 19 February 1949 over the village of Exhall when a British European Airways Douglas Dakota collided in clear weather with a Royal Air Force Avro Anson T21.[1]
The Dakota was on a flight from Northolt Airport near London to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport in Scotland. With a crew of four it was carrying six passengers,[2] and had taken off from Northolt at 09:13 hr.[3] The Royal Air Force Avro Anson T21 was being operated by No. 2 Air Navigation School on a cross-country training exercise from RAF Middleton St. George.[2]
The two aircraft collided at 4500 ft near the village of Exhall, near Coventry in Warwickshire.[1][2] The wreckage fell near an old peoples' home, the Exhall Lodge Hospital. There were no survivors.[2]
Although the weather at the time of the crash was clear,[4] the accident investigation concluded that the crew of neither aircraft saw each other, possibly due to glare from the sun, and blamed the accident on a failure on the part of both Captains to keep a proper look-out for other aircraft.[3]
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