Date & Time:
Jan 5, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
V3540
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Prestwick - Squires Gate - Kidlington
MSN:
3028
YOM:
1941
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The famous pilot Amy Johnson was completing a ferry flight from Prestwick to Kidlington to deliver the airplane. She departed Prestwick Airport on January 4 but was forced to divert to RAF Squires Gate near Blackpool due to poor weather conditions. She spent a night at Squires Gate, then took off on January 5 on a flight which should take some 90 minutes. Four and a half hours later, lost above a solid cloud layer and probably out of fuel, she baled out over the Thames Estuary. Her parachute and falling aircraft were sighted by the ships in a convoy and a gallant attempt was made to save her by the captain of a Royal Navy escort ship who dived into the freezing water to rescue her. He died later from exposure. Tragically, this effort was to no avail and Amy was drowned. Her body was never recovered.
