Crash of a De Havilland DH.18A in Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1922 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.18
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAWO
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Croydon - Paris
MSN:
DH.18/04
YOM:
1921
Location:
Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine
Oise
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a regular schedule flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon with three passengers and a crew of two on board. While cruising at a height of 500 feet in foggy conditions, the aircraft collided with a De Havilland DH.18A operated by Daimler Airway and registered G-EAWO. It appears that the DH.18 hit the upper left wing of the Farman which detached. Both aircraft crashed in an open field (a piece of wing crashed on the roof of a house) and were destroyed. While the British pilot was seriously injured, all other six occupants were killed. The only survivor died from his injuries few hours later. The collision occurred in Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine, some four km south of Grandvilliers and 27 km north of Beauvais, Oise. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to fog. First collision in commercial aviation history.
Crew:
Robin E. Duke, pilot
Edward Hesterman, steward.
Probable cause:
Both crews were apparently trying to maintain visual contact with the ground while flying under a low overcast, and must have simply failed to see each other in time to prevent the accident. It was also reported that G-EAWO had been slightly to the left of the proper course, maybe due to the inexperience of the pilot on this line. Priority rules should be the same in aviation as on the road but in the present case, experts confirmed these rules were not the same in UK and France. So new priority rules will come into force following this tragic event.

Crash of a BAT F.K.26 in Croydon

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1922
Type of aircraft:
BAT F.K.26
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAPK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
FK.26/32
YOM:
1920
Location:
Croydon
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on approach to Croydon Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Handley Page HP.11 in Senlis

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1922
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.11
Operator:
Registration:
G-EATN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Croydon - Paris
MSN:
HP.43
YOM:
1920
Location:
Senlis
Oise
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Croydon to Paris, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to land at Beauvais Airport. The crew called Paris Airport and was advised that the weather had improved slightly, so he decided to take off and proceed to Paris. While approaching Paris, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog and low clouds. He descended too early and too low when the aircraft impacted ground and crashed in an open field located in Senlis, some 30 km northeast of Le Bourget Airport. The aircraft came to rest almost vertically on its nose. All three passengers escaped unhurt and both crew members were injured.
Crew:
Cpt R. H. McIntosh,
Wireless operator S. A. Freddy Dismore.

Crash of a Handley Page HP.11 in Berck-sur-Mer

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1921 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.11
Operator:
Registration:
G-EATM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris – London
MSN:
HP.42
YOM:
1920
Location:
Berck-sur-Mer
Pas-de-Calais
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1120LT on a regular schedule service to Croydon. En route, one of the engine overheated. The crew reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in Berck-sur-Mer. There were no casualties and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine overheating.

Crash of a Breguet 14T Bis in Croydon

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1921
Type of aircraft:
Breguet 14
Operator:
Registration:
F-ADBN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
1913
YOM:
1921
Location:
Croydon
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an unventful mail flight from Paris-Le Bourget, the pilot was approaching Croydon Airfield when he encountere strong winds and lost control of the airplane that crashed in Wallingont, west of the aerodrome. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot Rousselin escaped with minor injuries.
Probable cause:
Loss of control due to high winds.

Crash of a Potez 9 in Paris-Le Bourget: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1921 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Potez 9
Operator:
Registration:
F-ADCD
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Warsaw - Prague - Strasbourg - Paris
MSN:
160
YOM:
1921
Location:
Paris-Le Bourget
Seine-Saint-Denis
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The flight from Warsaw to Prag and Strasbourg was uneventful. During the stop in Strasbourg, the pilot informed his base that all was OK. The last leg to Paris-Le Bourget was completed in very good weather conditions. On final approach to Le Bourget Airfield, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a huge explosion, killing all five occupants. It appears that the pilot should abort the landing due to the presence of another aircraft taking off at the same time.
Crew:
Henri Brousse, pilot.
Passengers:
Mr. Kern,
Mr. Marten,
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond.

Crash of a Blériot Spad 27 in Bekesbourne

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1921
Type of aircraft:
Blériot Spad 27
Operator:
Registration:
F-CMAY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Croydon - Paris
MSN:
1254
YOM:
1920
Location:
Bekesbourne
Kent
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 from Croydon to Paris-Le Bourget, the pilot encountered technical problems and elected to make an emergency landing in Bekesbourne. At low height, the aircraft collided with a telephone line then crashed on the railway road between Bekesbourne and Adisham. All three occupants evacuated safely, only the pilot suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Blériot Spad 27 near Dieppe

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1921
Type of aircraft:
Blériot Spad 27
Operator:
Registration:
F-CMAV
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris - Croydon
MSN:
1252
YOM:
1920
Location:
Dieppe
Seine-Maritime
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a mail flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon. While flying in the region of Dieppe, he encountered low visibility due to foggy conditions. At a too low altitude, the airplane impacted trees with one of its wings, stalled and crashed in the Arques forest. While the pilot was seriously injured, the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.18 in Airgueil

Date & Time: May 13, 1921
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.18
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAUF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
3
YOM:
1920
Location:
Argueil
Seine-Maritime
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was attempting to make a forced landing and the aircraft ended up on its back, completely wrecked near the edge of a large field 1,5 km north of Argueil. Marks on the ground and the nature of the country indicate that the pilot stalled the machine in attempting to land across a sunken road with insufficient flying speed. The pilot stated that his left wing dropped and he could not get it up again. From marks on the ground, the wing had apparently not touched the ground until the undercarriage collapsed, after which the machine turned over onto its back. The pilot was Captain H. W. Chataway.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.9 in Paris

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1921
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.9
Operator:
Registration:
O-BATE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Brussels - Paris
YOM:
1921
Location:
Paris-Le Bourget
Seine-Saint-Denis
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on final approach to Paris-Le Bourget Airport following an uneventful flight from Brussels. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was injured. The aircraft was officially registered on the Belgium CAA the day prior to the accident.
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