English Electric Canberra B.Mk.2 WK129 being operated by the Radar Research Establishment at RAF Pershore, crashed on Carnedd Llewelyn on the 9th December 1957.
|
Crew / Passengers |
Rank - If Applicable |
Position e.g. Pilot |
Status |
|
William Albert Bell |
Flight Lieutenant |
Pilot |
Killed |
|
Kenneth Charles Frederick Shelley |
Flight Lieutenant |
Navigator |
Killed |
The crew were taking part in testing in conjuction with a Ministry of Supply radar unit positioned on the summit of near by Drum. They were flying in low cloud and had drifted to the south of their intended track while flying in an easterly direction and struck Carnedd Llewelyn some 300 feet below the summit on the ridge connecting the mountain to Foel Grach. The forward end of the aircraft broke up leaving many pieces of structure from the forward fuselage on western side of the ridge. There is then a break in the wreckage trail which starts again on the eastern side of the ridge on the slopes above Ffynnon Llyffant. The centre section, wings and rear fuselage eventually crashed to earth near this small lake, though other pieces did travel some distance beyond here.

These are some of the pieces that can be found at the impact point of the aircraft.

This photograph shows the same parts as the one shown above, the path to the summit of Carnedd Llwellyn is between this point and the large outcrop in the centre of the photo.

This is one of the first pieces found on the upper slopes on the eastern side of the ridge just below the outcrop seen in the previous photograph.

Lower down are numerous small parts, above is an example of some of them, the piece in the background is a shattered piece of engine casing from the compressor.

This photo is looking back up from the engine remains shown below. The aircraft impacted on the opposite side of the ridge to the left of the promontory just left of the centre.

Most of the heavier engine parts lie close to Ffynnon Llyffant, the pieces are from the rear part of one of the Avon engines.
One of the aircraft's main wheels lies in the lake, someone has cut DUNLOP out of the tyre, the other is about 200m away.

A pile of pieces has been gather up near the lake.
The piece of jet pipe in the foreground can be seen in one of the earlier shots about 10 yards away, having been moved by a visitor to the site in the 6 years since my first visit to the site.

Many other pieces can be found in the river leading away from the bulk of the wreckage.
Lower down on Carnedd Llewelyn is one of airbrakes from the aircraft, this is about 1 mile from the point of impact.
This was not the lowest piece we saw, that was a piece at the base of Craig yr Ysfa, it must have been carried down and then dumped. Probably the person who did it got bored of carrying it.