Crash of a De Havilland DH.60X Moth in Sheffield

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1930
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
Operator:
Registration:
G-AAPB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hanworth – Sheffield
MSN:
1165
YOM:
1930
Location:
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching Sheffield on a flight from Hanworth, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.

Crash of a Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing in Hagerstown

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing
Operator:
Registration:
NC804H
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
44
YOM:
1929
Location:
Hagerstown
Maryland
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the pilot encountered foggy conditions and due to low visibility, was unable to locate his position. He eventually decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed and the pilot was unhurt.

Crash of a Travel Air 6000A in Long Lake: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1930 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Travel Air 6000
Operator:
Registration:
CF-AJO
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Toronto – Montreal
MSN:
2005
YOM:
1929
Location:
Long Lake
Ontario
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Toronto on a mail flight to Montreal. En route, he encountered engine problems and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed nose first in the frozen Long Lake, some 11 km south of Perth. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed. Seven sacks of mail were recovered.
Crew:
Harold Robinson,
Hervé Simoneau.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing near Mishawaka

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing
Operator:
Registration:
NC878M
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kalamazoo – Chicago
MSN:
55
YOM:
1929
Location:
Mishawaka
Indiana
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching South Bend, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. As he lost his orientation and was unable to fix his position, he decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. He landed about four miles southeast of Mishawaka, half a mile from where the plane crashed and was destroyed. Two sacks of mail were undamaged. The pilot Albert Hunt "Al" DeWitt was uninjured.

Crash of a Latécoère 32 in the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 32
Operator:
Registration:
F-AILN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
77
YOM:
1927
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft for unknown reasons. All three crew members survived and were later rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Boeing 95 near Saint George

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 95
Operator:
Registration:
NC419E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Los Angeles – Salt Lake City
MSN:
1063
YOM:
1929
Location:
Saint George
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
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 night mail flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and while attempting an emergency landing, he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a mountainous area located about 20 km west of St George, Utah, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was seriously injured.

Crash of a Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing in Flint

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing
Operator:
Registration:
NC129E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cleveland – Bay City
MSN:
15
YOM:
1928
Location:
Flint-Bishop
Michigan
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 1,000 feet in poor weather conditions (heavy snow falls), the engine failed. The pilot decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that entered a spin and crashed in a field located one mile northeast of Flint. The plane was wrecked but three pouches of mail were saved. The pilot Clifford William March was uninjured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a CAMS 56 off Cape Bear: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1930
Type of aircraft:
CAMS 56
Operator:
Registration:
F-AIOY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marseille – Algiers
MSN:
04
YOM:
1929
Location:
Port-Vendres
Pyrénées-Orientales
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While cruising off the French coast on a mail flight from Marseille to Algiers, the crew encountered an engine failure. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing off the Cape Bear but the sea was very rough. The aircraft crashed on landing and rescuers were grounded due to poor weather conditions. All operations were eventually suspended and no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
Robert Raynal, pilot,
Robert Languille, radio navigator,
Mr. Traverse, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing in Silver Creek

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing
Operator:
Registration:
NC355E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
23
YOM:
1928
Location:
Silver Creek
New York
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising by night, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area. The pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing in Hartford: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing
Operator:
Registration:
NC801H
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Newark – Hartford
MSN:
41
YOM:
1929
Location:
Hartford
Connecticut
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a mail flight from Newark to Hartford, Connecticut. While approaching the destination, he failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane impacted the roof of a house and crashed in the Connecticut River. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
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