Commercial Air Hire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Captain F. S. Wilkins, an Air Ministry Inspector of Accidents, said he found everything about the machine in perfect order, but it was inexplicable that the two main petrol cocks were shut off, and he did not think that the impact with the ground had anything to do with it. If the pilot did become momentarily confused he might have accidentally shut off the main cocks instead of the balance cocks, which were the same row. The jury returned a verdict that the crash was due to failure of the petrol supply but that there insufficient evidence to show how it came to be cut off.

Crash of a General Aircraft ST-4 Monospar II in Godstone

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1936 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

General Aircraft ST-4 Monospar

Operator:

Registration:

G-ADIK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Croydon Airport, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation and attempted an emergency landing in a field located in Godstone. After landing, the airplane collided with trees and came to rest. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon 1 near RAF Stoney Cross: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1936

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Registration:

G-ACAP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Croydon - Bournemouth

MSN:

6002

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Croydon on a special mission on behalf of the Royal Air Force. While cruising at night at an altitude of 8,000 feet in stormy weather, the twin engine aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a pasture located near the RAF Stoney Cross. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Francis Joseph Birmingham, pilot,
Robert Frederick Burgess, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Brendan Birmingham,
Daisy Marsh,
Norman Tyrrell Burton.

Probable cause:

The loss of control occurred while the aircraft was cruising in poor weather conditions with storm activity and atmospheric turbulences. The assumption that the aircraft may have been hit by lightning has not been ruled out.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon off Lydd

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1936

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Registration:

G-ACCR

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croydon – Le Touquet

MSN:

6011

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Just after leaving the English coast, while flying over The Channel, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into The Channel, few km off Lydd, Kent. All six occupants, five passengers and a pilot, were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Spartan Cruiser I off Le Tréport

Date & Time: May 11, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Spartan Cruiser

Operator:

Registration:

G-ABTY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Paris – Croydon

MSN:

24M

YOM:

1932

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon, carrying two crew members and a load of newspapers. While overflying The Channel, all three engines lost power. The pilot reduced his altitude and elected to ditch the aircraft some 13 km northwest of Le Tréport. Both occupants were quickly rescued by the crew of a fishing vessel and the aircraft sank five minutes after they got rescued.

Probable cause:

Power loss on all three engine for undetermined reasons.