#5 British Flying Training School

Crashes hold a fascination for many people. It doesn’t matter if they are plane crashes, railway (railroad) crashes or anything involving a vehicle, people study and read about them.

Some of this is for good – analysis by investigators after an accident can lead to greater safety systems being put in place. Analysis after many incidents in the aircraft industry has led to development of the ‘Swiss Cheese Model’ of risk analysis and risk management. This likens slices of Swiss cheese (the type which has random holes) being lined up together with each hole representing a potential risk to safety. Normally the holes do not align, and all is well, but should the holes align, safety is at risk and the worst can sometimes happen. This model is used in the NHS (in the UK) and in many other industries to investigate and change things after an incident to prevent a similar recurrence.

Sadly, in many of these incidents, there is a human story where lives can be changed for ever and fatalities occur. At #5BFTS during WW2, accidents and crashes occurred. After the death of an RAF cadet in an airplane crash, an investigation report would be written. These were mostly focused on the reasons the accident had occurred, but also led to changes. A good example of this is the crash in January 1942 in which Roger Crosskey (Course 3) was killed when his Vultee BT-13 crashed on landing at Riddle Field after a night flying exercise. A few months after this, the Vultee was withdrawn from RAF training programmes in the United States.

Twenty-three RAF cadets died during training in Florida and are buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission British Plot, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Arcadia, Florida. Of these, 19 were killed in a plane crash.

This Collection is dedicated to all those who were at #5BFTS and who lost their lives in a plane crash during WW2 whether at #5BFTS, on active service or elsewhere.

‘Their efforts to preserve the freedom of the world were not in vain and will never be forgotten’

This digital exhibit is a part of the #5BFTS archive hosted in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's institutional repository AERO Commons.