Crash of a Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat near Habbaniya Lake: 4 killed
Date & Time:
Nov 27, 1938
Operator:
Registration:
G-AETW
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Southampton – Sydney
MSN:
S.839
YOM:
1937
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
En route from Southampton to Sydney and while flying over Iraq at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a sandstorm. Apparently in an attempt to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the crew reduced his altitude when the float plane named 'Calpurnia' hit the ground at full power and crashed. All four crew members were killed.
