Date & Time:
Mar 24, 1937 at 1411 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADVA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Southampton – Brindisi – Mirabella – Alexandria – Durban
MSN:
S.818
YOM:
1936
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
10
Circumstances:
The float plane departed Southampton at 1150LT on a flight to Durban with intermediate stops in Brindisi, Mirabella and Alexandria. On board were one passenger, five crew members and a load of mail, four boxes with 160 kg of gold, one box of gemstone et tree bags of bank notes from the National British and Egyptian Banks. While overflying the Morvan Mountain Range, the radio navigator contacted ground control in Lyon-Bron to obtain a position briefing. While flying in snow falls, the four engine aircraft named 'Capricornus' deviated from the flight plan then impacted two pine trees and crashed near Ouroux, some 20 km southwest of Mâcon. The radio navigator survived and walked few km to find help. When he returned to the aircraft, he found that all five other occupants were killed.
Crew:
A. Paterson, pilot,
G. E. Klein, copilot,
Denis R. O'Brien, flight clerk,
James L. Cooper, radio navigator,
F. A. E. Jeffcoate, steward.
Passenger:
Beatrix 'Betty' Mercy Coats.
Crew:
A. Paterson, pilot,
G. E. Klein, copilot,
Denis R. O'Brien, flight clerk,
James L. Cooper, radio navigator,
F. A. E. Jeffcoate, steward.
Passenger:
Beatrix 'Betty' Mercy Coats.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain following a navigational error due to zero visibility in snow falls. The crew thought he was overflying the Saône Valley when the accident occurred.
