Crash of a Handley Page H.P.12 near Abu Hamad: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.12
Operator:
Registration:
F302
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Khartoum - Cairo
Location:
Abu Hamad
River Nile (ولاية نهر النيل)
Country:
Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Khartoum on a flight to Cairo. En route, the airplane suffered a structural failure and crashed near Abu Hamad, about 450 km north of Khartoum, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O John Barclay Jaques,
F/O Desmond Wilkie Sibley,
Sgt Edmund West Wadey,
AC2 Reginald Colin Meldrum.
Probable cause:
In-flight structural failure.

Crash of a Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial in Bulawayo

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial
Operator:
Registration:
F8615
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wadi Halfa – Bulawayo – Cape Town
Location:
Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Country:
Zimbabwe
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Bulawayo, Matabeleland, the crew encountered problems and the aircraft crashed. Both occupants, engaged in a cross country flight to Cape Town, South Africa, were injured and the aircraft named 'Silver Queen II' was destroyed.
Crew:
Lt Col Pierre van Ryneveld,
Lt Christopher Joseph Quintin-Brand.

Crash of a Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial in Tabora

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1920 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAAV
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Brooklands – Cairo – Gebelein – Kisumu – Mwanza – Tabora – Cape Town
MSN:
K-107
YOM:
1919
Location:
Tabora
Tabora Region
Country:
Tanzania
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from UK to South Africa. En route, he encountered several technical problems. At 0650LT, the aircraft took off from Tabora Airport but the cooling system failed shortly later. The pilots returned to Tabora and made the appropriate repairs. The aircraft took off again at 1400LT but shortly later, the left engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed in an acacias area near the airport. While all five occupants were injured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The flight was one of the first transafrican cross country flight from London to Cape Town and was sponsored by the London Times.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine shortly after takeoff after water was found leaking into induction and exhaust pipes internally, also oily substance in petrol.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.12 near Shereik

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.12
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAMC
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Aswan - Khartoum
MSN:
HP.27
YOM:
1919
Location:
Shereik
River Nile (ولاية نهر النيل)
Country:
Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing one of the first trans-Africa flight from UK to South Africa. En route from Aswan to Khartoum, while cruising at an altitude of 7,800 feet, the airplane suffered oscillations and vibrations. The crew shut down both engines and elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a desert area located 10 km north of Shereik. All four crew evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Control problems following technical issues with the rudder.

Crash of a Handley Page O/7 in Acadia Siding

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page O/7
Operator:
Registration:
G-EANV
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
HP.7
YOM:
1919
Location:
Acadia Siding
Western Cape
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot encountered control problems and elected to make an emergency landing in Acadia Siding. All nine occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It appears that the rudder came out of its bearing, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.

Crash of a Vickers FB.27 Vimy in Wadi Halfa

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial
Operator:
Registration:
G-UABA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Brooklands - Derna - Wadi Halfa - Bulawayo - Cape Town
Location:
Wadi Halfa
Northern (الشمالية)
Country:
Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Brooklands, UK, for Derna on the night of 04FEB1920. After a 11-hour flight, the crew encountered bad weather conditions over the Mediterranean Sea but was able to land without problems in Derna, Lybia, to refuel. While approaching Wadi Halfa Airport by night, the crew encountered technical problems (a radiator leak) when the aircraft crashed short of runway. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft named 'Silver Queen' was destroyed.
Crew:
Lt Col Pierre Van Ryneveld,
Lt Christopher Joseph Quintin-Brand.
Probable cause:
Technical problems.

Crash of an Avro 504 in Abukir: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1918
Type of aircraft:
Avro 504
Operator:
Registration:
A8544
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Abukir - Abukir
Location:
Abukir (Abū Qīr)
Alexandria
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was completing a local training flight when it stalled and crashed near Abukir. A crew member was killed and the second was injured.
Crew:
2nd Lt G. E. Satterthwaite, †
2nd Lt J. Acheson.
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