Crash of a Fairey IIIF on the Isle of Grain: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1928 at 1105 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S1168
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Eastchurch - Eastchurch
MSN:
F.893
YOM:
1927
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Eastchurch on a training flight. While flying over the Isle of Grain, the pilot-in-command made a sharp turn when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Bean Maltman,
LAC Sydney Cresswell Mason,
AC2 William George Lowman.

Crash of a Fokker F8 in Sevenoaks: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1927 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
H-NADU
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Croydon – Amsterdam
MSN:
4993
YOM:
1926
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Ten minutes after takeoff from Croydon Airport, while approaching Sevenoaks, the pilot encountered severe vibrations when the aircraft sharply banked to the right. He elected to trim the aircraft without success. The twin engine machine stalled and crashed in a wooded area located in Sevenoaks. The flight engineer J. Brunklaus was killed while all 10 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control due to the physical separation of the rudder (vertical stabilizer) in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 115 Virginia VI at RAF Eastchurch: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
J7714
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at RAF Eastchurch, the aircraft hit a parked DH.9 with a wing. The pilot continued the takeoff procedure. After liftoff, at a height of about 100 feet, the aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O William James Kelly,
P/O John Frederick Dowdeswell,
F/Sgt Albert George Alderton,
AC2 Everett Daniels.

Crash of a Vickers 115 Virginia VII off Sheerness

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1927 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
J7425
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manston – Spitalgate
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Manston on a night flight to RAF Spitalgate. En route, the engines lost power and failed. The crew ditched the aircraft in the Thames estuary off Sheerness at 2100LT. All four occupants were rescued about six hours later by the crew of the trawler SS Pickmere. The aircraft was lost.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the engine failure was due to two of the main petrol cocks being turned off.

Crash of a Farman F.63bis Goliath in Tonbridge

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1927 at 1512 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-AEGP
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Croydon
MSN:
9
YOM:
1922
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget on a mail flight to Croydon with a crew of two on board. Following an uneventful flight of two hours, the left engine started to lose power then failed. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing, reduced his altitude and attempted to land in an open field located in Tonbridge, Kent. On final, the pilot made a turn to the left when the left wing struck trees, causing the aircraft to crash on the ground. Both occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine after five of the nine pistons had seized due to lack of oil.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.9A at RAF Eastchurch: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1926 at 1545 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
J7610
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Eastchurch - Eastchurch
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Eastchurch on a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 500 feet, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed just outside the boundary of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt George Frederick Taylor,
AC2 Percy Charles Hinton.

Crash of a Blériot 155 in Leigh: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1926 at 1527 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-AICQ
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paris - Croydon
MSN:
1
YOM:
1926
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
2000
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Le Bourget Airport at 1330LT bound for Croydon Airport, London. After crossing The Channel, the crew proceeded with a radio control over Tonbridge at 1524LT. At this time, all was OK on board according to the crew. Three minutes later, the port upper engine caught fire. Immediately, the pilot modified his route and diverted to Penshurst Airport close to his position to make an emergency landing. Eyewitnesses described the tail of the aircraft sinking whilst the aircraft gained a little height. Then the aircraft rolled over and dived to the ground where the wreckage was consumed by fire. The aircraft crashed in the grounds of a house named Southwood, in Leigh, Kent. All seven occupants were killed. The aircraft had been inspected before the flight, and a certificate issued by Bureau Veritas showing that it was fit for flight. The pilot was experienced, with over 2,000 hours flying time, and had been in the employ of Air Union since 1920. He had made 61 return flights between Paris and London. As both crew were French citizens, all five passengers were British.
Probable cause:
On being questioned, Major Cooper of the Air Ministry stated that there had never been a previous case of an airliner catching fire in the air. So, the exact cause of the inflight fire on the port upper engine could not be determined with certainty.

Crash of a Blériot 155 in Romney Marsh: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1926 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-AIEB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Croydon
MSN:
02
YOM:
1926
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
47
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1240LT bound for Croydon with a crew of two and 13 passengers on board. The crew made a radio control arriving over the Channel and its overflight was uneventful. While reaching the British coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. Due to poor visibility, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in Romney Marsh but his altitude was too low. The noise of all four engines suddenly ceased and the machine descended in a gliding turn to port as if the pilot was manoeuvring to land. When passing over some farm buildings on the borders of a large field, the four engines aircraft hit the roof of a barn and crashed into some hayricks. The pilot and two passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured, 10 seriously.
Crew:
Pierre Delisle, pilot, †
Gabriel Ducos, mechanic.
Passengers:
R. Blaney, †
H. Rizzi, †
Mr. R. McAdam,
Mr. S. Hazzard,
Miss S. Hazzard,
Miss H. Awes,
Miss E. Fearn,
Miss M. Varden,
Miss V. Varden,
Mr. L. Stroh,
Miss E. Bennett,
Lord Norreys,
Mrs. Grant.

Source: Kent & Sussex History Forum
Probable cause:
The wreckage of the aircraft showed evidence of both port wingtips being shattered by the collision with the tiled roof of the barn - it had carried away the top half of the hayrick and swung through 180° before coming to rest with the starboard wings crushed against another hayrick. The front of the fuselage was shattered and most of the starboard side of the passengers' cabin was broken outwards. No defects were found in the fuel system, mechanics or airframe, and the accident was put down to an error of judgement on the part of the pilot when manoeuvring to land owing to bad weather conditions.

Crash of a Fokker F7 off Hythe

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1926
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
H-NACL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Amsterdam – Rotterdam – Croydon
MSN:
4841
YOM:
1925
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While overflying The Channel and approaching the British coast, the engine failed. The pilot was able to ditch the airplane few dozen metres offshore. All five occupants evacuated safely and were quickly rescued by local people who brang the aircraft back to the beach. The aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The engine failed because the pilot forgot to position the fuel valve to 'open'.

Crash of an Avro 504K in Manston: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1925
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
E2914
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Manston
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a local training mission at Manston Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, he lost control of the airplane that crashed on the ground. The pilot LAC Edward Emmanuel Dunn was killed.