When you visit the Greenock Cut Centre in Greenock, many of you will probably have noticed an aircraft engine displayed next to the visitor car park. This is a memorial to an airman who was killed when his Avro Anson aircraft crashed into the local hills. The crash occurred on the 26th of July 1939.
The current location of the engine does not mark the crash site. The aircraft crashed close to the summit of Cauldron Hill.
The aircraft that crashed was one of 15 aircraft making a flight from Belfast to Glasgow (then known as Abbotshinch Airfield). Abbotsinch was at that time a military airfield used by the RAF and the Royal Navy.
As the aircraft were making their journey between Northern Ireland and Scotland, they encountered challenging weather conditions that resulted in low visibility. The order was given to break formation and fly the remainder of the flight individually. This involved adjusting speed and headings to maintain separation and each aircraft would rely on its own navigation systems to get to Glasgow.
At Abbotsinch Airfield, one by one the aircraft began to arrive. As time passed it became apparent that something was not right. Only 14 of the expected 15 aircraft had reached their destination.
A call was made to inform the police of the missing aircraft and a search commenced. The aircraft and all 4 crew members were eventually located in the hills above Greenock. All 4 were alive but with injuries. Sadly one of the pilots, Sgt Roberts, would later die from injuries he sustained in the crash.
A major factor in the incident was the lack of visibility causing the aircraft to fly unsighted into the elevated terrain. There was no suggestion that the aircraft had encountered any problems or technical difficulties prior to the crash and there was no distress call.
The Memorial
One of the two engines that were torn from the airframe was later brought down to Cornalees and placed as a memorial to the lost airman. Today it is located right next to the Greenock Cut Centre and has a plaque providing further details.
A second engine still lies on the hills close to the crash site. It is believed most of the wreckage from the aircraft was buried on the hill where it crashed.
Abbotsinch Airfield
The present-day Glasgow Airport is on the site of the former Abbotsinch Airfield. This was originally operated by the RAF (Royal Air Force). It then became a shared facility, also used by the Royal Navy. In 1943 the entire airfield was turned over to the Royal Navy and it became known as HMS Sanderling.
Since the opening of the new Glasgow Airport in 1966 the bar within the airport has retained the name “The Sanderling”.
Modern Times
In the modern era, a crash like this would be a lot less likely to occur. In the 1930s aircraft avionics and navigation systems were a far cry from the technology that is available today. This was a terrible example of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Today there is very little to see at the crash site. One of the engines still lies within a burn and is slowly being eaten away by mother nature. It is believed the entire airframe lies buried in the hill close to where it met its fate.
There are a disproportionately high number of aircraft crash sites within the Clyde Muirsheil Park and this had lead some to speculate that the high level of mineral deposits within the area may affect flight instrumentation systems. This has never been proven and in many cases, the cause of the incident has been investigated and found to be caused by another factor.
Aircraft image credit: By Oren Rozen – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0