Investigation Summary
On the afternoon of November 26, 1944, four C-47A Skytrains of the 442nd Operations Group departed Villeneuve-les-Vertus Airfield (A-63) in the Marne region of France. The aircraft were flying in a tight formation bound for RAF Chalgrove. As the formation crossed into English airspace, they encountered a low cloud base and poor visibility. The lead pilot elected to descend to 1,200 feet to stay below the overcast layer. Shortly thereafter, a further descent of 200 feet was initiated. This placed the formation at approximately 1,000 feet, which was insufficient to clear Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey at 965 feet. Three aircraft (42-92837, 42-93754, and 43-47975) impacted the hillside almost simultaneously. While most sources agree on 13 total fatalities, there is a discrepancy regarding survivors: BAAA-acro records two survivors from 42-92837, whereas some general records claim all occupants perished. The fourth aircraft in the formation managed to avoid the terrain and continued to a safe landing at Chalgrove.
Final Conclusions
The accident was classified as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) caused by the flight leader's decision to descend in poor visibility and deteriorating weather conditions. The crew's attempt to maintain visual flight rules (VFR) below a lowering cloud deck led the formation into terrain that exceeded their flight altitude.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
United States Army Air Force 42-92837 — Douglas C-47A-15-DK · 42-92837
United States Army Air Force 42-93754 — Douglas C-47A-25-DK · 42-93754
United States Army Air Force 43-47975 — Douglas C-47A-30-DK · 43-47975
Systems & Failure Modes
Altimeter
Pressure-based instrument used to determine flight altitude; the crew relied on visual clearance which failed due to low cloud cover.
Interesting Facts
- 01Leith Hill is the highest summit of the Greensand Ridge in Surrey.
- 02Thirteen crew members were killed across the three crashed aircraft, while two survived with injuries from aircraft 42-92837.
- 03The aircraft were flying in a V-formation (often described as diamond) at the time of the crash.
- 04The fourth aircraft in the formation successfully cleared the hill and landed at RAF Chalgrove.
- 05The flight originated from Villeneuve-les-Vertus Airfield (A-63) in France.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · Position recorded by the wikidata coordinate without a stated precision, so the ring shows roughly where the event occurred rather than an exact point. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.