West Sussex

The pilot encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing. The single engine aircraft collided with trees and crashed in North Heath Farm. Both occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

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.

The pilot departed Shoreham on a local demo flight, taking part to the British Empire Flying Day. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane entered a dive and crashed. The pilot Hugh G. Aitchison was seriously injured.

The single engine airplane departed Shoreham for a joyride with one passenger and one pilot on board. En route, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Walberton. The female passenger died few minutes after the accident and the pilot died the following day.
Crew:
Edward Myers, pilot.
Passenger:
Ruby Dickerson.

Crashed for unknown reasons while taking off from Sheroham Airport. Both occupants were injured.

The pilot departed Hanworth on a solo flight. En route, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a field in Findon, near Worthing, bursting into flames. The pilot was badly injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

On the afternoon of Sunday, January 25th, 1931, an Avro 504K (serial G-AACW) crashed about 1/4 mile from Gatwick aerodrome, killing the pilot and both passengers. The airplane was a wartime machine originally manufactured under licence by G. Parnell & Coy Ltd, and had been completely rebuilt by Southern Aircraft Ltd in the spring of 1929. At the time of the last flight the airplane was not equipped with dual control, a false floor having been fitted over the control column socket and the rudder bar of the rear cockpit. The pilot, Mr. W. J. Martin, had started to learn to fly at Shoreham in February 1929, and made his first solo flight in June 1930, at which time he had received about 12 hours dual instruction. He qualified for his private licence five weeks later. Up to the day of the accident his total solo flying time was nearly 200 hours. Martin was not very experienced in aerobatics, although a few days before the accident a friend had demonstrated to him how to execute slow rolls. The first 10 minutes or so of the flight were occupied in carrying out a demonstration in which a number of machines took part and during which nothing in the nature of aerobatics was attempted. Instead of landing at the conclusion of this demonstration, the pilot climbed to a height between 1500 and 2000 feet, and then executed a maneuver which, to all expert witnesses, appeared to be an abortive attempt to roll and which developed into a spinning nosedive. Twice during its descent, G-AACW ceased to spin and momentarily assumed a straight gliding altitude, only to start spinning in the opposite direction. No one actually witnessed the crash, but the airplane had not recovered from the spin when it disappeared below the tree tops. The two passengers who died were named as Mr. S. J. W. Meathrel and Mr. L. H. Irving-Bell (Ground Engineer).
Source: www.sussexhistoryforum.co.uk

The pilot Arthur Leonard Monger departed Stag Lane on a local solo training flight. En route, the engine failed. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a frozen pond. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was slightly injured.

The crew departed RAF Worthy Down on a training mission. En route, the left engine failed. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in Broadbridge Heath, in the suburb of Horsham. All four crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Alyer,
P/O R. O. Oxley Taylor +2.

The single engine airplane departed Eastbourne on a taxi flight to London, carrying two passengers and one pilot. En route, he encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in an open field located at Amies Mill Farm near Horsham. All three occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.