This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Bristol Freighter, a twin-engined transport aircraft used as both a freighter and airliner as well as a troop transport and car ferry.
Sixty-eight of the 214 Freighters built were destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair in accidents. At least 45 of these were fatal, resulting in the deaths of at least 385 passengers and crew.[1]
4 July – Freighter IIA G-AHJB on delivery to REAL Transportes Aéreos of Brazil crashed into the sea 198 km east of Aracaju, Brazil. The crew were rescued by an American steamship.[2][3]
23 October – Bristol's company demonstrator Freighter IA G-AIMC, named "Merchant Venturer", was damaged beyond repair at Wau, New Guinea during a worldwide sales and demonstration tour. The aircraft, which was on charter to Qantas, was parked at the top of Wau's 1:12 gradient airstrip after landing when the park brake cable failed. "Merchant Venturer" rolled backwards down the runway and off the lower end into a deep ditch.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
11 April – Freighter 21E F-BENG of Cie Air Transport crashed at Los Barrios, Algeciras, Spain, three killed.[2][3]
1949
6 May – G-AIFF a Bristol Aeroplane Company Freighter Mark 31 crashed into the English Channel about 26 km from Portland Lighthouse following rudder over-balance causing structural failure of the fin, seven killed.[2][3]
21 March – G-AHJJ a Bristol Aeroplane Company Freighter Mark 21 crashed near Cowbridge, Glamorgan after take-off from Llandow, four killed.[2][3]
28 July – Freighter 21 F-BENF of Cie Air Transport crashed in the Sahara near Tanezrouft, Tunbukta, 26 killed.[2][3]
5 October – Freighter 21 WH575 operated by the Bristol Aeroplane Company crashed on take off during a simulated engine failure when both engines were stopped, aircraft later re-built.[3]
1951
27 July – Freighter 21E VR-NAX of West African Airways Corporation was damaged beyond repair when it landed short of the runway at Kaduna, Nigeria.[2]
27 May – Freighter 31M NZ5908 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force crashed into high ground at Wither Hills near Blenheim, New Zealand, five killed.[2][3]
13 February – Freighter 31 CF-FZU of Maritime Central Airways was damaged beyond repair during a take off from Baffin Island, Frobisher Bay, Canada, three killed.[2][3]
30 May – Freighter 31 CF-TFZ of Pacific Western Airlines was damaged beyond repair at Beaver Lode Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada.[2]
18 June – Freighter 31 CF-TFY of Transair was damaged beyond repair after it sank in 40 feet of water at Hudson Bay, Canada.[2]
November – F-OAUO of Air Laos was damaged beyond repair when it overshot the runway at Vientiane, Laos.[2]
1 November – Freighter 31M S4413 of the Pakistan Air Force crashed.[3]
9 May – EC-ADI an Aviacion y Comercio, later Aviaco, Freighter 21 crashed on approach to Barajas near Madrid, Spain, 37 killed.[2][3]
11 September – EC-AEH, a Freighter 21E of Aviacion y Comercia, was damaged beyond repair when landing at Tetuan, Morocco.[2]
8 October – Freighter 21E HZ-AAC of Saudi Arabian Airlines was damaged beyond repair during landing at Turaif, Saudi Arabia.[2]
21 November – Freighter 31 ZK-AYH of Straits Air Freight Express crashed and burned at Russley Golf Course, Christchurch, New Zealand, after it broke up in flight due to a severe gust of wind initiating the fatigue failure of the right wing. The wing failed at a bolt hole that had been drilled in its front spar during a modification meant to fix an existing fatigue problem in the wing. The four occupants were killed.[2][11][12]
3 May 1970 – Freighter 31M CF-WAG of Wardair was damaged beyond repair at Great Slave Lake near Snowdrift, Northwest Territories, Canada.[2]
31 May 1974 – Freighter 31M CF-QWJ of Lambair entered a spiral dive and crashed at Rankin Inlet, Canada following an engine failure; two killed.[2][14]
10 May 1975 – Freighter 21E VH-SJQ of Air Express crashed in Bass Strait off Cape Paterson 40 km south of Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia following an engine failure; two killed.[2][15]
20 November 1977 – Freighter 31M C-FWAD of Norcanair stalled and crashed at Hay River Airport, Canada; one killed.[3]
14 January 1981 – Freighter 31E ZK-CAM of SAFE Air was damaged beyond repair while landing at Blenheim-Woodbourne Airport, New Zealand.[3]
21 June 1988 – Freighter 31M C-GYQY of Trans-Provincial Airlines crashed on landing at Bronson Creek, 350 km north of Terrace, British Columbia, Canada.[2]
^Annerfalk, Anders (1999). Flygvapnet An Illustrated History of the Swedish Air Force. Ljungsbro, Sweden: Aviatic Förlag. pp. 111–112. ISBN91-86642-049.