Date & Time:
May 12, 1931
Type of aircraft:
Avro 504
Operator:
Registration:
J8751
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cranwell - Cranwell
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 pilot departed RAF Cranwell on a local solo training flight. En route, he lost control of the airplane that dove in the ground and crashed in Fulbeck, some 6 km west of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot Flt Cadet Hugh Leslie James Bertram was killed.
Probable cause:
Evidence in this case leads to the conclusion that Bertram, a promising pupil in his first term, stalled his aeroplane either through inattention or in a deliberate attempt to execute a manoeuvre for which he had not the height, being well below the altitude at which aerobatics are permitted.
