Crash of a De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth in Aston Clinton

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1936
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth
Operator:
Brooklands Air Taxis
Registration:
G-ACDU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2142
YOM:
1933
Location:
Aston Clinton
Buckinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crashed in a wheat field located in Aston Clinton. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

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:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Portsmouth – Heston – Coventry
MSN:
W.10/1
YOM:
1926
Location:
Aston Clinton
Buckinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
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.
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