Historical Notes :
13-01-1941 - Halifax took part in a fuel consumption test before it caught fire and crashed at Howerfield House.
13-01-1941 - Dishforth Cemetery Halifax L9487 at Baldersby St. James, Thirsk. On 13th January 1941 this brand-new aircraft was being given a fuel consumption test and carried a mixed crew but all were operationally experienced and qualified to carry out the test. They were to carry out the test at 12,000ft at which they were to cruise at that height for an hour and measure the fuel consumption. The aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse at 11.20hrs and climbed away. About half an hour later the aircraft was seen near Dishforth at around 3,000ft with the port undercarriage down and a trail of vapour behind the port side of the aircraft. One of the port engines was also seen not to be working. The vapour then ignited (probably as a result of being ignited by an engine exhaust flame) and a large fire was seen on the port side of the aircraft after which the aircraft entered a steep dive before crashing from 2,500ft near Baldersby St. James, between Thirsk and Dishforth at 11.53hrs. All the airmen on board were sadly killed instantly. The fire was thought to have burnt away the aircrafts tail control surfaces making the aircraft become uncontrollable. The crew were found to have all been wearing their parachutes and all were probably preparing to bale out when the aircraft entered the spiralling dive and as a result they were unable to get out. The cause of the fire was blamed on the failure of groundcrew at Linton on Ouse to put the fuel-filler cap back on one of the port fuel tanks after it had been refuelled. The vapour seen behind the port wing would also certainly have been fuel, which, by the time it ignited had soaked into the tail section of the aircraft. Also of note is that the port outer engine had been suffering trouble since its delivery. It suffered a coolant leak on 3rd December 1940 which resulted in a new radiator being fitted and then the same engine showed low oil pressure, it was run-up on 24th December 1940 and a new oil relief valve had to be fitted. Following the crash all the engines were removed and taken away for inspection and this engine was found to have suffered an oil shortage in the air prior to the crash, part of the crankshaft had broken causing the failure of the engine. Further investigation of other early Halifax's found that this was a design problem with early Halifax's. When full of fuel and in a tail-down position the oil pumps on the outer engines were above the oil level. This oil system was later changed to stop the problem re-occuring. Why the undercarriage had dropped or been lowered is not known