Devonshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft was returning to Exeter after its crew dropped off Royal Air Force Command' staffs in Paris. While flying over Devon in marginal weather conditions, the crew was unable to locate the airport of Exeter nor to fix his position with certainty. Eventually, the captain decided to reduce his altitude and attempted an emergency landing on the Tiverton Golf course when on final, the aircraft impacted two trees and crashed. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft named 'Horatius' was destroyed.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I off RAF Mount Batten: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1939 at 2115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

N9030

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mount Batten - Mount Batten

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The float plane was returning to RAF Mount Batten following a maritime patrol flight. At night and in poor weather conditions, the crew attempted to land when the aircraft crashed in the bay of Portsmouth. Four crew members were killed and seven others were injured.
Crew:
F/Lt H. B. Johnson, pilot,
F/O Dennis Ford, copilot, †
Sgt Watkins,
AC2 Joseph Douglas Whitford, †
AC2 William Henry Fiddock, †
AC2 John William Hayward, † +5.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Sidmouth

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K8749

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a training mission over The Channel, the crew lost control of the aircraft that crashed into the sea off Sidmouth. The fate remains unknown.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Moth in Exeter

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1937

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Exeter Aero Club

Registration:

G-ABPK

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Exeter - Exeter

MSN:

1871

YOM:

1931

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff from Exeter. Both occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Blackburn R.B.1B Iris III of Plymouth: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1933

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn R.B.1 Iris

Operator:

Registration:

S1263

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

RAF Mount Batten - RAF Mount Batten

MSN:

YOM:

1929

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The seaplane was returning to RAF Mount Batten with a crew of nine on board. After landing off Plymouth, the airplane collided with a dockyard launch and sank. Seven crew members were injured, one escaped unhurt and LAC Alfred Dore Slatter was killed.

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

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1931

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBSA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hanworth – Newquay

MSN:

414

YOM:

1927

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Hanworth to Newquay, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and lost his orientation. He attempted an emergency landing in a field but aircraft crashed and was wrecked. Both occupants escaped with minor injuries.

Crash of a Blackburn R.B.1B Iris III off RAF Mount Batten: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1931

Type of aircraft:

Blackburn R.B.1 Iris

Operator:

Registration:

N238

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

RAF Mount Batten - RAF Mount Batten

MSN:

YOM:

1929

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a training mission with 12 crew on board on behalf of the 209 Squadron. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were good with a calm sea. At a speed of 70 mph, the float plane hit violently the water surface and was wrecked. Three crew members were rescued while nine other occupants perished.
Crew:
W/Cdr Charles Gilbert Tucker, †
F/O Frederick Kingsley Wood, †
Sgt Edmund Walter Harris Wilson, †
LAC William Henry Stark, †
LAC Cecil Gwilym Davies, †
LAC Louis Charles Oates, †
LAC Harold Corrie Ongley, †
LAC William Sidney Rutledge, †
LAC William George Stevens, †
F/Lt Maurice Hibbert Ely,
F/Lt Charles Ryley,
Cpl William Mansell Barry.

Probable cause:

There was no mechanical failure prior to the accident and the cause of the crash was identified as being a pilot error as the Court of Inquiry showed that the pilot Charles Tucker was a qualified pilot but not proficient in flying boats. It appears that he misjudged the distance between the aircraft and the water surface.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.50A in Plymouth

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1928

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.50

Operator:

Registration:

G-EBKZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Plymouth – Croydon

MSN:

133

YOM:

1925

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Plymouth, the single engine airplane crashed for unknown reason. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.