Handley Page H.P.30 | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Luqa Airport on a short positioning flight to the near airport of Hal Far. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane stalled and crashed. All three crew members were injured.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.30 in Aston Clinton: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1934

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.30

Operator:

National Aviation Displays

Registration:

G-EBMM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Refuelling

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Portsmouth – Heston – Coventry

MSN:

W.10/1

YOM:

1926

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was being used as a tanker (it had extra fuel stored in the rear cabin) and was returning from Portsmouth to Coventry after a mid-air refueling mission of an Airspeed Courier aircraft being used by Cobham for a long distant flight to India. Shortly after takeoff from Heston Aerodrome, while climbing, the aircraft named 'Youth of New Zealand' crashed in a field, killing all four crew members (one pilot, two mechanics and one aeronautical apprentice).

Probable cause:

The Inspector of Accidents concluded that the probable cause was a fracture of a main bolt that secured the bracing wires of the front spar to the tail. The failure of the bolt would cause a loss of control, failure of the bolt was probably fatigue. The aircraft had been involved in an early accident when the tail had been swapped with one from another aircraft, but after 50 hours of flying since the repair, it was not thought that the bolt had been disturbed.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.30 off Dungeness: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1929 at 1130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.30

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBMT

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croydon – Paris – Basel – Zurich

MSN:

W.10/4

YOM:

1925

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While overflying the Channel at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the right engine failed. The pilot attempted to return to England but some three miles off Dungeness, as he was unable to maintain a safe altitude, he ditched the aircraft. Both crew and four passengers escaped and were slightly injured while all seven other occupants were killed. The aircraft was named 'City of Ottawa'.
Crew:
Rudolf Paul David Brailli, pilot,
Nigel Robert Barnett, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The right engine stopped following the failure of the fourth connecting rod due to fatigue.

Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.30 in The Channel

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1926 at 1315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.30

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBMS

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croydon – Paris

MSN:

W.10/3

YOM:

1925

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Named 'Prince Henry', the aircraft departed Croydon Airport at 1245LT on a regular schedule service to Paris-Le Bourget. While overflying The Channel, the right engine lost power. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in the sea some 33 km off the British coast. In a slight nose-up attitude, the aircraft ditched into sea at 1315LT. All 12 occupants took refuge on the roof and the tail and were later rescued by the crew of two fishing vessels, one of them named 'Invicta'. Mail and cargo (platinum) were salvaged and bring back to Folkestone. The only casualty was a Pommeranian dog belonging to one of the women passengers.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.