Croydon

While cruising over The Channel and approaching the British coast, the crew encountered technical problems. The pilot decided to ditch the aircraft off Hythe, Kent. While all occupants were quickly rescued, the aircraft named 'Normandie' was lost.

En route from Croydon to Paris, while approaching Abbeville, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted a precautionary landing. Unfortunately, the manoeuvre was eventful and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. All occupants evacuated safely.

Ten minutes after takeoff from Croydon Airport, while approaching Sevenoaks, the pilot encountered severe vibrations when the aircraft sharply banked to the right. He elected to trim the aircraft without success. The twin engine machine stalled and crashed in a wooded area located in Sevenoaks. The flight engineer J. Brunklaus was killed while all 10 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

While overflying Pas-de-Calais below the cloud layer, the pilot encountered technical problems and attempted to make an emergency landing in a prairie. On final, he cut the engine when the aircraft impacted the roof of a metallic shed and crashed into trees. While all eight occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget on a mail flight to Croydon with a crew of two on board. Following an uneventful flight of two hours, the left engine started to lose power then failed. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing, reduced his altitude and attempted to land in an open field located in Tonbridge, Kent. On final, the pilot made a turn to the left when the left wing struck trees, causing the aircraft to crash on the ground. Both occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Previously owned by a British Operator, the aircraft was recovered by Fokker and was on a ferry flight from Croydon to Amsterdam. While cruising south of Lille, France, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in an open field located in Estaires, 5 km east of Merville Airport. While both occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

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.

The aircraft departed Le Bourget Airport at 1330LT bound for Croydon Airport, London. After crossing The Channel, the crew proceeded with a radio control over Tonbridge at 1524LT. At this time, all was OK on board according to the crew. Three minutes later, the port upper engine caught fire. Immediately, the pilot modified his route and diverted to Penshurst Airport close to his position to make an emergency landing. Eyewitnesses described the tail of the aircraft sinking whilst the aircraft gained a little height. Then the aircraft rolled over and dived to the ground where the wreckage was consumed by fire. The aircraft crashed in the grounds of a house named Southwood, in Leigh, Kent. All seven occupants were killed. The aircraft had been inspected before the flight, and a certificate issued by Bureau Veritas showing that it was fit for flight. The pilot was experienced, with over 2,000 hours flying time, and had been in the employ of Air Union since 1920. He had made 61 return flights between Paris and London. As both crew were French citizens, all five passengers were British.

Shortly after takeoff from Yeovil-Westland Airport, while climbing, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed in an open field located in Mudford, 2 km south of the airport. While all three occupants were injured, the aircraft was destroyed.

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