Croydon

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Paris - Croydon

MSN:

YOM:

1926

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1240LT bound for Croydon with a crew of two and 13 passengers on board. The crew made a radio control arriving over the Channel and its overflight was uneventful. While reaching the British coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. Due to poor visibility, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in Romney Marsh but his altitude was too low. The noise of all four engines suddenly ceased and the machine descended in a gliding turn to port as if the pilot was manoeuvring to land. When passing over some farm buildings on the borders of a large field, the four engines aircraft hit the roof of a barn and crashed into some hayricks. The pilot and two passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured, 10 seriously.
Crew:
Pierre Delisle, pilot, †
Gabriel Ducos, mechanic.
Passengers:
R. Blaney, †
H. Rizzi, †
Mr. R. McAdam,
Mr. S. Hazzard,
Miss S. Hazzard,
Miss H. Awes,
Miss E. Fearn,
Miss M. Varden,
Miss V. Varden,
Mr. L. Stroh,
Miss E. Bennett,
Lord Norreys,
Mrs. Grant.

Source: Kent & Sussex History Forum

Probable cause:

The wreckage of the aircraft showed evidence of both port wingtips being shattered by the collision with the tiled roof of the barn - it had carried away the top half of the hayrick and swung through 180° before coming to rest with the starboard wings crushed against another hayrick. The front of the fuselage was shattered and most of the starboard side of the passengers' cabin was broken outwards. No defects were found in the fuel system, mechanics or airframe, and the accident was put down to an error of judgement on the part of the pilot when manoeuvring to land owing to bad weather conditions.

Crash of a Fokker F7 off Hythe

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1926

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F7

Operator:

Registration:

H-NACL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Amsterdam – Rotterdam – Croydon

MSN:

4841

YOM:

1925

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

While overflying The Channel and approaching the British coast, the engine failed. The pilot was able to ditch the airplane few dozen metres offshore. All five occupants evacuated safely and were quickly rescued by local people who brang the aircraft back to the beach. The aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The engine failed because the pilot forgot to position the fuel valve to 'open'.

Crash of a Breguet 14T bis in The Channel: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1926

Type of aircraft:

Breguet 14

Operator:

Registration:

F-ADAI

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Paris - Croydon

MSN:

1908

YOM:

1921

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a mail flight from Paris to Croydon, the aircraft disappeared in The Channel. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the pilot Xavier R. A. de Masin was found.

Crash of a Farman F.60 Goliath in Wadhurst: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1925 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Farman F.60 Goliath

Operator:

Registration:

F-HMFU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Paris - Croydon

MSN:

YOM:

1919

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total hours on type:

313.00

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1255LT on a flight to Croydon, carrying seven passengers and two crew members. After passing over The Channel, the crew passed Dymchurch when the weather conditions worsened with rain falls and storm activity. The pilot reduced his altitude to 500 feet then decided to follow a railway line, apparently to divert to Penshurst Aerodrome. Too low, the aircraft collided with an oak tree and crashed in an open field. A female passenger was killed while eight other occupants were injured. The aircraft named 'Île de France' was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Roger Paul Ernest Thierry, pilot,
Pierre Auclair, mechanic.
Passengers:
Mrs. Kate V. Burke,
Reverend D. Burke,
Mr. J. L. Burke,
Mrs. M. Redner,
+ three other passengers, an Italian, a French and a Briton.

Probable cause:

A verdict of 'Accidental death' was returned, the pilot being exonerated from blame.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.34B in Carrville

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1925

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.34

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBBY

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Croydon - Newcastle

MSN:

YOM:

1922

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a special flight from Croydon to Newcastle to follow the 'King's Cup Air Race'. En route, while cruising over Durham County, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog. As the pilot was unable to localize the destination, he decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field when the aircraft impacted a ditch and came to rest against trees. While all seven occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.34B in Croydon: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1924 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.34

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBBX

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croydon - Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1922

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the aircraft suffered a technical problem, stalled and crashed in an open field located in Purley, some 2,4 km south of the airport, bursting into flames. SAR arrived quickly on the scene but it was impossible to rescue the eight occupants who were prisoner of the fire. The pilot and five passengers were British citizens, another was Brazilian and the last was a Chilean.

Probable cause:

The report into the inquiry was published on 10FEB1925. The inquiry concluded that the aircraft was airworthy at the time of departure. There was no blockage in the petrol pipe, such damage being as a result of the firefighting operations subsequent to the crash. The use of unarmored pipe had been allowed by Air Ministry officials who were unaware of an instruction issued on 6 December 1923 that armored piping was to be used. Such usage of non-armored piping had no relevance to the accident. The then-current conditions existing at Croydon Airport meant that pilots were unable to comply with certain parts of the Air Navigation (Consolidation) Order, 1923 and that the condition of the airfield was at least a contributory factor in the accident. It also found that clarification of the meaning of the word "flight" in parts of the order was needed. No negligence was found on the part of the Air Ministry or Imperial Airways. The pilot was cleared of blame for the accident. The aircraft was found to have crashed due to an unknown mechanical defect and subsequent stall whilst an emergency landing was being attempted. In conclusion, it was determined that G-EBBX had experienced some type of mechanical malfunction prior to the accident, but the nature of the problem could not be determined. The fact that Croydon had been listed as an ‘unsatisfactory’ airport, because of its wind conditions, could have been a contributing factor, according to the investigative report.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.34 in Croydon

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1924

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.34

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBCX

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Croydon - Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1922

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All seven occupants evacuated with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Blériot Spad 33 off Folkestone

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1924 at 1530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Blériot Spad 33

Operator:

Registration:

F-ADBH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors: