Date & Time:
Oct 7, 1940 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
N4729
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cranfield - Cranfield
MSN:
2459
YOM:
1940
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Cranfield on a training flight. While cruising at low height, the airplane collided with a tree and crashed near Newton Park Farm, about one mile southwest of Turvey. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O James Frederick Bridge, pilot,
LAC Jack Henry Kissner, pilot.
Crew:
F/O James Frederick Bridge, pilot,
LAC Jack Henry Kissner, pilot.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot was flying less than 100 feet above the ground and had flown into bright sun, which hampered his vision. It was also stated that, although James Bridge had a total of nearly 500 flying hours, he had not had much experience of flying dual in an Oxford and this may have been a contributory factor.
