Investigation Summary
The flight was part of a high-priority transport mission for the 'Big Three' conference at Yalta. The aircraft, MW116, was not the original transport; it was pressed into service when the primary Liberator aircraft suffered an engine fault just before departure. Although the individual crew members were experienced, they had never flown together as a cohesive unit before this urgent mission. After departing England and flying toward the Mediterranean, the weather deteriorated near Naples. The crew intended to divert to Malta, but a combination of radio distortion and navigation errors caused them to miss their destination. They arrived over the island of Lampedusa, which they reportedly failed to identify correctly, circling for approximately one hour. During this time, the wireless operator was working with obsolete weather data and was unable to secure reliable radio bearings. When the crew finally determined their position and the course to Malta, they realized the fuel state was critical. The pilot attempted a ditching in the sea, but the aircraft broke up shortly after impact.
Final Conclusions
The investigation attributed the accident to a series of navigational errors compounded by equipment and operational factors. Key findings included the use of a crew that had not previously trained together, the failure to obtain reliable radio bearings due to distortion, and the reliance on outdated meteorological forecasts. The aircraft remained airborne until fuel exhaustion necessitated a ditching, which resulted in the destruction of the airframe and the loss of 15 lives.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Radio Navigation
The crew experienced radio distortion and was unable to obtain reliable bearings to Malta, contributing to their disorientation.
Fuel System
The aircraft suffered total fuel exhaustion after circling for an extended period due to navigational errors.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was carrying staff for Prime Minister Winston Churchill's delegation to the Yalta Conference.
- 02The crew had never flown together as a team prior to this specific flight.
- 03The aircraft circled Lampedusa for over an hour before the ditching occurred.
- 04Six victims were buried at the Imtarfa Military Cemetery in Malta.
- 05The aircraft was a civil adaptation of the Avro Lancaster bomber.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Parliamentary Review
Air Minister Sir Archibald Sinclair provided a full explanation to Parliament regarding the necessity of using an ad-hoc crew due to the urgency of the diplomatic mission.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.