Previously in Northwood & Ruislip News, we published a story about a plane crash in Northwood. A Scandinavian Airlines plane collided with an RAF plane on July 4, 1948, killing 39 people. Ruislip resident Keith, who has lived in the area since 1931 and is now 96 years old, has got in touch to share his memories of that fateful day.
I was 19 at the time [of the crash] and camping with 1st Ruislip Scouts by Mad Bess Wood on that drizzly day. We were packing up early when we heard the roar of aircraft engines, followed by sudden silence.
We ran in the direction of the woods, where we could see aircraft wreckage on the edge of the trees.
As an aviation enthusiast, I realised from the shape of the fuselage with oval windows that it was an RAF Transport Command Avro York. It was smouldering. We ran to the nearest house to alert the services.
What we did not know at the time was that there was a second aircraft involved – a Scandinavian Airlines Douglas DC-6. The second aircraft came down in the woods by Ducks Hill.
A lot of lessons were learned by Air Traffic Control and the minimum height between aircraft at Northolt was increased.
Years later, I met relatives of the RAF navigator on the York and we visited the site and placed a small plaque by a damaged tree which marked the spot.
Photo credit: Ben Brooksbank
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