Croydon

Site:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

MSN:

YOM:

1935

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Shortly after takeoff from Croydon Airport, the airplane stalled and crashed. The pilot Ellis Hill, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-ACAP

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

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Schedule:

Croydon - Bournemouth

MSN:

6002

YOM:

1933

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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 Douglas DC-2-115B in Dübendorf

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

HB-ITI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

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Site:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Schedule:

Zurich – Croydon

MSN:

1321

YOM:

1934

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Just after lift off from Dübendorf Airport, the captain Walter Mittelholzer noted the aircraft was unable to gain sufficient altitude as the speed was too low. He decided to land past the runway but the aircraft hit a fence, lost its left main gear and slid for few dozen metres before colliding with trees and coming to rest in an orchard. The captain, the radio navigator and two passengers were injured while all four other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair as the right wing was partially torn off and the left wing severely crushed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with snow falls and icing that probably reduced the aircraft performances upon takeoff.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon off Lydd

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1936

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Registration:

G-ACCR

Flight Phase:

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Landing (descent or approach)

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croydon – Le Touquet

MSN:

6011

YOM:

1933

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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 Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 in Tatsfield: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1935 at 1645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.73

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AGN

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Schedule:

Brussels – Croydon

MSN:

30004

YOM:

1935

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The crew initiated the descent to Croydon at sunset. The visibility was poor due to a cloud ceiling down to 100 metres. Too low on approach, the three engine aircraft impacted tree tops, stalled and crashed in a wooded area located in Tatsfield, some 13 km southast of Croydon Airport, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Jean Schroonbroodt, pilot,
Jean Desmet, radio navigator,
Alphonse Verbinnen, engineer,
Raymond Strechfuss, steward.

Probable cause:

It was concluded by the UK Accidents Investigation Branch that the pilot, who did not request bearings from the airport and tried to navigate on his own, had descended out of the clouds prematurely, apparently uncertain of his position. He then must have initiated a steep climbing turn to the left to avoid the surrounding hilltops or after realizing that the visible lights were in fact those of Biggin Hill Aerodrome, not Croydon. During the evasive manoeuvre, the SM.73 apparently lost flying speed and stalled, resulting in an uncontrolled descent. And after the stall, some of the passengers may have been thrown forward, causing a weight distribution imbalance that would have hindered the ability of the pilot to regain control. No evidence was found of any prior mechanical or structural failure in the aircraft.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Moth in Stone

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1935

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Dublin Air Ferries

Registration:

EI-AAW

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

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Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Dublin – Liverpool – Croydon

MSN:

1849

YOM:

1931

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The single engine airplane departed Dublin and a taxi flight to Croydon with an intermediate stop at Liverpool-Speke Airport, carrying one passenger and one pilot. En route to Croydon, the engine exploded and the airplane caught fire. The pilot reduced his altitude and completed a safe emergency landing in a prairie. Both occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Engine explosion in flight.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.73P in Croydon

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1935 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.73

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AGM

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Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Brussels – Croydon

MSN:

30002

YOM:

1935

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Upon landing, the three engine airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All four crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boulton & Paul P.71A in Brussels

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1935 at 0256 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boulton & Paul P.71

Operator:

Registration:

G-ACOY

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Schedule:

Croydon – Brussels

MSN:

P.71A/2

YOM:

1934

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On final approach to Brussels-Haren Airport at night, the twin engine aircraft impacted the ground and crashed 10 metres short of runway. All 15 occupants were rescued, among them seven were injured, two seriously. The aircraft named 'Britomart' was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fokker F7b/3m in Domašín

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F7

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Registration:

OK-ABT

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