Croydon | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft was owned by the British citizen George D. Mallinson and piloted by Charles Job who arrived in Paris on 28FEB1931 to take delivery of the aircraft. While cruising over The Channel in a snowstorm, the aircraft disappeared. No trace of the aircraft nor the pilot was ever found. It should be transferred to Brooklands via Croydon.

Crash of an Avro 504K in Brixton

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1931

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBYE

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Brooklands – Croydon

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The pilot Richard Lush and the passenger Stanley Rodwell, a photographer, were involved in aerial filming of a feature film called 'The Flying Fool'. In unknown circumstances, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the garden of a house located in Brixton. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Sabca F7b/3m in Melle: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1931 at 2345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Sabca F7

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AIL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Brussels - Croydon

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The crew was performing a night mail flight from Brussels to Croydon and departed Brussels-Haren Airport at 2327LT. Some 15 minutes later, the crew encountered foggy conditions and decided to return to Brussels after he contacted his base. Apparently to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the pilot reduced his altitude when the right wing hit the ground. The aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Gabriel Dery, pilot,
Pierre De Ceuster, flight engineer.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.26 in Neufchâtel-Hardelot: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1930 at 1230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.26

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBIX

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Croydon – Paris

MSN:

W8/7

YOM:

1924

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En route from Croydon to Paris, the crew encountered technical problems and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually came to rest in an open field located in Neufchâtel-Hardelot, some 10 km south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais. Three occupants, including a crew member, were killed, while three others were seriously injured. Pilot was J. J. Flynn.

Probable cause:

Forced landing following an unknown technical failure.

Crash of a Sabca F7b/3m in Croydon: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1930

Type of aircraft:

Sabca F7

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AIN

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Croydon – Brussels

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Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, while climbing, the aircraft went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were marginal with mist and rain, and the visibility was limited due to the night. It appears that a fire erupted in the cabin shortly after rotation but the cause of the fire was not defined.
Crew:
Edouard G. L. Sobry, pilot,
Fernand Cooremans, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Fire on board for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Junkers F.13ge in Meopham: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1930 at 1435 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers F.13

Operator:

Walcot Air Line

Registration:

G-AAZK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Le Touquet – Croydon

MSN:

2052

YOM:

1930

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The aircraft departed Le Touquet on a taxi flight to Croydon, carrying four passengers and a crew of two. While cruising above Kent, the single engine airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a near vertical attitude in a private garden located in Meopham, some five miles south of Gravesend. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
George Lochart Henderson, pilot
Charles d'Urban Shearing, copilot.
Passengers:
Mr. Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava,
Mrs. Rosemary Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Viscountess Ednam,
Mr. Edward Simons Ward,
Mrs. Sigrid Loeffler.

Probable cause:

The Head of the Aeronautical Research Commission (ACR) Major Cooper believes that the lost of the cover of the engine might well be the reason for the accident. An aeronautical research committee attributed the crash to buffeting, or irregular oscillation, of the horizontal stabilizer of G-AAZK. This condition itself apparently resulted from wake ‘eddies’ produced by air flowing over the relatively thick main wing of the Junkers. Ultimately, the oscillation led to the separation of the port stabilizer/elevator assembly, then the entire empennage, after which the port wing broke off and the nose/power plant section separated. The Germans on the other hand discounted this theory and seemed to imply that the crash may have been due to pilot error and/or the weather conditions.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Moth in Croydon: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1930

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Registration:

G-AAHX

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Croydon - Croydon

MSN:

1062

YOM:

1929

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The airplane departed Croydon on a local plaisance flight with two people on board. On final approach, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed 300 yards short of runway. Both occupants Alexander Arnott (Jock) Anderson and Charles William Hamnett were killed. It is believed that both occupants have consumed alcohol before the flight and the pilot, who was head mechanic of the Henderson Flying School, had flown the aircraft without permission.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth in the Goodwin Sands

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1930

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth

Operator:

Hylton R. Murray-Philipson

Registration:

G-AAXN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croydon – Paris

MSN:

2012

YOM:

1930

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En route from Croydon to Paris, the pilot became lost while cruising in poor visibility due to mist. He spotted the French trawler named 'Sirius' and descended too low when a wing tip impacted the water surface. The aircraft flipped over and crashed. All three occupants were rescued by the crew of the trawler.

Crash of a Farman F.63bis Goliath in Penshurst

Date & Time: May 2, 1930 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Farman F.63bis Goliath

Operator:

Registration:

F-ADCA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris - Croydon

MSN:

YOM:

1921

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The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport in the early morning on a cargo flight to Croydon, carrying two crew members and a load of 550 kg of various goods and mail. En route, the pilot Henri Roth encountered technical problems while flying in poor visibility due to foggy conditions. After passing over Tonbridge, the airplane was low on fuel and the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing at Penshurst Aerodrome. The airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, impacted a hedge and crashed near a road. Both crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Junkers W.33d in Limpsfield: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1930

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.33

Operator:

Registration:

D-1649

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Berlin – Croydon

MSN:

2544

YOM:

1929

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While descending to Croydon on a night cargo flight from Berlin, the airplane went of control and crashed on a hill located in Limpsfield, bursting into flames. The aircraft named 'Baikal' was destroyed and both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Karl Wesell, pilot,
Gustav Ferdinand Connert, mechanic.

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