North Ayrshire has seen many aircraft disasters, both civilian and military, on the mainland and on the Isle of Arran.

Our friends at Dumfries Aviation Museum have kindly shared with us their databases on air disasters in North Ayrshire, including casualty lists, and we have replicated them here for you to peruse.

There are 4 databases: Air Disasters in North Ayrshire (below), Casualties of Air Disasters in North Ayrshire, Arran Air Disasters and Casualties of Arran Air Disasters.

The database below features information regarding crashes on the North Ayrshire mainland. For information on crashes on the Isle of Arran, check the Isle of Arran database.

Aircraft TypeSerial No.SquadronLocationCauseDate
CamelC82071AFSSunnyside Farm, Kilwinning.Collided with B5563 during AF practice.08/04/1918
CamelB55631AFSSunnyside Farm, Kilwinning.Collided with C8207 during AF practice.08/04/1918
??Scottish AviationGailes, IrvineCrashed in field, Mr.H.W Beggs injured.17/09/1936
Spartan CruiserG-ACYKNorthern Scot. AVWest Girt HillRecovered to East Fortune Museum. Airlifted on 25/7/73.14/01/1938
HartK649912 ERFTSDrybridgeE/F.F/L and tipped up.03/04/1939
TigermothN92022CPFSLadyland MoorWing hit hill and crashed. Pilot , F/Lt. R Gibbs OK26/05/1940
SharkK8457TTU3 miles north of ArdrossanLost, forced landed in small field and hit dry stone wall.16/08/1940
SharkK8471TTUMeikle Busbie FarmFlew into rising ground in cloud.16/08/1940
SpitfireK9970602Hunterston EstateF/L and caught fire. Pilot injured.06/01/1941
WellingtonR116420OTUBox LawFlew into the ground in bad visibility flying from Kirkbride to Lossiemouth.25/01/1941
BeaufortX8938TTUBusbie Muir ReservoirCrashed into reservoir in bad visibility.22/06/1941
TigermothT5710?Little Busbie FarmFlew into hill in bad visibility.01/08/1941
BothaL61783RSFirth of ClydeLost over the Clyde.14/10/1941
BeaufortL9817TTUKnockside HillFlew into hill while on torpedo exercise from Abbotsinch.27/10/1941
BeaufortN1178TTUBlacklaw HillHit High ground in bad visibility.27/10/1941
MartletAM973881Little Busbie FarmCrashed in bad visibility while en – route to HMS Illustrious. Destroyed by fire. Pilot thrown out of aircraft and killed.21/12/1941
SpitfireAD56874Firth of ClydeMissing on patrol08/02/1942
AudaxK36833RSDreghornControls jammed – pilot bailed out13/05/1942
HampdenAN1511TTUFirth of ClydeStruck the water.12/10/1942
DefiantDR868289Stevenson BeachForced landed03/04/1943
CatalinaFP3214FPPLargsSwung on landing and foundered.28/04/1943
WhitleyZ936224 OTU1 mile off Saltcoats HarbourCrashed in sea after engine fire02/05/1943
HampdenAT1171TTUFirth of ClydeStruck the water and dived in.03/05/1943
MustangAM22963400 yds E of Sunnyside of ThreepwoodCrashed during aerobatics.25/05/1943
TyphoonJR218186300 yards west of Nettlehurst Farm.Mid air collision with JR313.29/12/1943
TyphoonJR31318630 yards east of Newhouse Farm.Mid air collision with JR218. Dug 21/9/9629/12/1943
SwordfishNF1448361.5m S of Little Cumbrae lighthouse.Dived into the sea after depth charge exploded.23/04/1944
BarracudaDR219 ‘X’821180 degrees 3m s of Cumbrae Island.Air Launch Torpedo exercise, dived into the sea. 3 killed.20/06/1944
FireflyDT9771772Blaeloch HillFlew into the hill after radio contact lost.26/10/1944
P-5144-632018thAFNear Busbie Muir ReservoirCrashed after hitting top of hill whilst ferrying from Renfrew.20/12/1944
CorsairKD58218434 miles from Cumbrae LighthouseTurned steeply and spun in after taking off from HMS Arbiter18/02/1945
DakotaKN40945GP4m W IrvineFlew into sea descending in cloud28/03/1945
BarracudaME138815Aird Hill , Isle of Cumbrae.Spun in off steep turn.20/04/1945
CoronadoJX486231Off LargsScuttled28/03/1946
CoronadoJX494231Off LargsScuttled28/03/1946
CoronadoJX498231Off LargsScuttled28/03/1946
CoronadoJX501231Off LargsScuttled28/03/1946
SeafirePR432804Hill of StakeFlew into the hill.03/02/1947
VikingG-AIVEBEAIrish LawFlew into the hill in mist. No fatalities.21/04/1948
DakotaG-AMRBStarwaysGreenside HillCrashed and burnt.28/03/1956
DevonVP969MCCFBox LawCrashlanded on hillside. No casualties.03/06/1958
Sea VenomWM572AHUCapringstone FarmCrashed in forced landing and burnt.27/02/1960
Piper Arrow??Skelmorlie MainsFlying from Stornoway to Liverpool.19/12/1986
Cherokee (?)??SkelmorlieCrashed out of fuel after Atlantic crossing.‘ – / – /90