Crash of a Boulton & Paul P.71A off Dungeness: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Boulton & Paul P.71
Operator:
Registration:
G-ACOX
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Croydon – Paris
MSN:
P.71/1
YOM:
1934
Location:
Dungeness
Kent
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft named 'Boadicea' departed Croydon on a mail flight to Paris-Le Bourget with two crew members on board. It crashed in unknown circumstances into The Channel off Dungeness, Kent. Both crew members were killed.
crew:
Cpt Alfred Cecil Thomas, pilot,
Harold Eugene Percival, wireless operator.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.86A Express in London-Gatwick: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1936
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.86 Express
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADYF
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Hamburg
MSN:
2347
YOM:
1936
Location:
London-Gatwick
West Sussex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed London-Gatwick Airport on a night mail flight to Hamburg, carrying four crew members. After takeoff, while climbing, the pilot-in-command initiated a 180 turn, apparently to return to Gatwick. Doing so, the airplane lost height, impacted trees and crashed. A crew member was injured while three others were killed, including Cpt W. F. Anderson.
Probable cause:
There is no suggestion of mechanical failure, though it is possible that the rudder control was accidentally interfered with at a critical moment after takeoff.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.86 Express in Altenkirchen: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1936 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.86 Express
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADEB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hanover – Cologne – London-Gatwick
MSN:
2324
YOM:
1935
Location:
Altenkirchen
Rhineland-Palatinate
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night mail flight from Hanover to London-Gatwick with an intermediate stop in Cologne. In unknown circumstances, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed 50 km southeast of Cologne. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Vickers 212 Vellox in Croydon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1936 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Vellox
Operator:
Registration:
G-ABKY
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Croydon – Paris
MSN:
1
YOM:
1934
Location:
Croydon
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Croydon Airport on a night mail flight to Paris-Le Bourget, carrying four crew members. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height then stalled and crashed in a garden located in Hillside Gardens, less than a km from the airport, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Lionel Frank Hastings Orr, pilot,
Cpt Stanley Miles Fergusson, pilot,
Robert Arbuckle, wireless operator,
Jeffrey Denis Dear, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
The following factors were identified:
- The accident was due to a sudden loss of engine power occurring in circumstances that were unfavourable for and may even have rendered impossible the carrying out of a successful forced landing,
- That the cause of the sudden loss of engine power cannot be determined, but that the evidence is suggestive of the starboard engine having been either the first or the only engine to fail, and
- The most likely cause was either some obstruction of the fuel system or incorrect setting of the fuel controls.

Crash of a Lockheed 9 Orion on the Orizaba Peak: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 9 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
XA-BAY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
169
YOM:
1936
Location:
Ciudad Serdán
Puebla
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a mail flight, the single engine aircraft impacted the slope of the Orizaba Peak located east of Ciudad Serdán. The pilot, Cpt Rivadeneyra Vásquez, was killed.

Crash of a Wibault 283.T12 in Albine: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1936 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Wibault 282/283
Operator:
Registration:
F-ANBL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Paris – Toulouse – Dakar – Natal – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
15
YOM:
1934
Location:
Albine
Tarn
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 0245LT on a mail flight to Rio de Janeiro with intermediate stops in Toulouse, Dakar and Natal. Around 0545LT, the crew informed ATC about his position between Toulouse and Perpignan. Shortly later, the three engine airplane named 'L'Aventureux' impacted the slope of a mountain located near Albine. The pilot of a French Air Force fighter localized the wreckage at 1430LT at an altitude of 1,000 metres. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Gaston Génin, pilot,
Roger Savary, copilot,
Albert Aubert, radio navigator.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Kuybyshev: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1936 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov P-5
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1918
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Aktyubinsk – Kuybyshev – Moscow
MSN:
9466
YOM:
1935
Location:
Kuybyshev
Samara oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Aktyubinsk on a mail flight to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Kuybyshev. On approach to Kuybyshev Airport, the pilot completed a haft-circle to reach the runway when he realized his position was incorrect. He decided to initiate a go-around procedure when he saw the pipe of a foundry. While trying to get height, the airplane collided with the pipe and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a wrong approach configuration caused by pilot fatigue combined with poor piloting techniques.

Crash of a Junkers JU.160D-0 in Chlomek: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.160
Operator:
Registration:
D-ULUR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Munich – Prague – Breslau
MSN:
4246
YOM:
1936
Location:
Chlomek
Central Bohemian Region (Stredočesky kraj)
Country:
Czech Republic
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While approaching Prague, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located in Chlomek, 20 km south of Prague. The aircraft named 'Schakal' was destroyed by impact forces and both crewmen were killed.
Crew:
Viktor Neubrandt, pilot,
Wilfried Haupt, radio navigator.

Crash of a Junkers F.13f1e in Borkum

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Junkers F.13
Operator:
Registration:
D-OBAZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Essen – Borkum
MSN:
738
YOM:
1924
Location:
Borkum
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane named 'Kronenreiher' crashed on approach to Borkum while on a mail flight from Essen. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.

Crash of a Dornier DO J-IIf Bos Wal into the Atlantic Ocean: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1936 at 0352 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dornier Do J Wal
Operator:
Registration:
D-ADYS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Rio de Janeiro – Vitória – Belmonte – Salvador – Recife – Bathurst – Sevilla – Stuttgart – Berlin
MSN:
299
YOM:
1935
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a mail flight from Rio de Janeiro to Berlin with several intermediate stops. The float plane named 'Tornado' was catapulted from the deck of the German ship named 'Westphalen' in the region of Fernando de Noronha around 18:18 (GMT time) on February 14, 1936. Some 9 hours and 34 minutes later, all communications with the crew were cut. SAR operations were conducted by seven countries but no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found. According to the authorities, the crew was flying at a speed of some 200 km/h and some 3 to 5 metres above the water surface when the accident occurred.
Crew:
FF Olaf Bielenstein,
FF Otto Scheffler,
Bm Wilehlm Wittmann,
Bf Alfred Conrad.
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