Malta & Gozo · Malta · Wreck
Bristol Beaufighter
An upturned wartime fighter with its wings still intact
Area photo: Michaela Yos Niki Loxa · CC BY 4.0
The Bristol Beaufighter is a twin-engine, two-seat heavy fighter that the crew ditched in the sea just after taking off from Malta. Much of the airframe has survived on the seabed, making it a deep aircraft wreck for divers with advanced training.
Also known as Beaufighter.
Where it is and how deep
35.9243° N, 14.5031° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The aircraft lies upside down on a sandy seabed at 38 m. The wings and centre fuselage are still intact, though most of the plane is buried in the sand. It measures about 12.6 m long with a 17.6 m wingspan, and visibility over the wreck usually runs 10 to 20 m.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Bristol Beaufighter
- Type
- Twin-engine two-seat heavy fighter
- Length
- 12.6 m (41 ft)
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Ditched by its crew after mechanical problems soon after takeoff
- Lies
- Upside down on sand at 38 m, wings and centre fuselage intact
On 17 March 1943 the Beaufighter left Malta on a mission, but as soon as it had left the airport mechanical problems set the aircraft vibrating and it began to lose altitude. With the plane failing soon after takeoff, the crew had to ditch it in the sea, where it has rested ever since.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Malta & Gozo: Jun–Sep is the main season, with the sea averaging 21–26 °C; it never drops below 14 °C, so diving carries on through the winter.
Dive videos
Diving The Bristol Beaufighter | Divewise Malta · Divewise Malta on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Bristol Beaufighter wreck need?+
BSAC Sports Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent, since the aircraft lies at 38 m.
Sources
- www.calypsosac.org/bristol-beaufighter/ — www.calypsosac.org
- maltadives.com/sites/bristolbeaufighter/en — maltadives.com
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