Date:	Friday 10 July 1964
Time:	day
Type:	Druine D.31 Turbulent
Owner/operator:	Robin d'Erlanger
Registration:	G-APZZ
MSN:	PFA.552
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	English Channel, Varne Bank, 9 miles SW of Dover, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Berck-sur-Mer Airfield, France (LFAM)
Destination airport:	Biggin Hill Airport, Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent (BQH/EGKB)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
G-APZZ was first registered (C of R R.6832/1) on 17 March 1960 to Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd., Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey. In just over four years, it was sold on and re-registered six times, as follows:

17-03-60: First registered (C of R R.6832/1) to Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd., Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey
09-08-60: Registration cancelled/lapsed upon sale
10-08-60: Re-registered (C or R.R.6832/2) to Norman Herbert Jones, Claygate, Surrey
09-03-61: Registration cancelled/lapsed upon sale
14-03-61: Re-registered (C of R R,6832/3) to Rodney de Chaire, Aylesham, Norfolk
16-04-61: Registration cancelled/lapsed upon sale
02-05-61: Re-registered (C of R R.6832/4) to Rollason Aircraft & Engines Ltd., Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey
23-08-61: Registration cancelled/lapsed upon sale
28-08-61: Re-registered (C or R.R.6832/5) to Norman Herbert Jones, Claygate, Surrey (for the second time!)
15-02-62: Registration cancelled/lapsed upon sale
22-02-62: Re-registered (C of R R.6832/6) to Robin d'Erlanger, London W.2

On 10 July 1964 Tiger Club member Robin d'Erlanger was flying Turbulent G-APZZ across the English Channel, from Berck-sur-Mer to Biggin Hill, when his aeroplane suffered engine failure and he had to ditch it in the Channel. According to contemporary reports, the aircraft ditched in the Varne Bank near the Varne Light Vessel in the Straits of Dover, and. being made of wood, floated very well. The pilot simply climbed out of the cockpit, and sat on the rear fuselage until rescue arrived [see photo link #14]

Evidently even then the Channel was a busy place and D'Erlanger was fortunate enough that a Norwegian tanker, the 'Gunmar Brovick', was in his vicinity and was able to bring not only him, but also his Turbulent, aboard!

However one assumes that G-APZZ had been in the sea for a little too long and its condition, when salvaged, was too poor to justify its restoration. Its registration was cancelled shortly afterwards - on 27 July 1964 - as "P.W.F.U." ("Permanently Withdrawn From Use")

The Varne Bank or Varne Shoal is a 5+3⁄4-mile (9.3 km) long sand bank in the Strait of Dover, lying 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Dover in Kent, England. With the Lobourg Channel running along it, the Varne bank lies immediately south-west of the deepest point 223 feet (68 m) in the strait of Dover. Its rectilinear shape is similar to other banks in the strait such as South Falls bank bordering the Lobourg Channel on the east, the Colbart bank (a.k.a. the Ridge) and others. Rectilinear-shaped banks are only present on the English side of the strait.

1. Passauer Neue Presse 15 July 1964, p.3
2. The British Civil Aircraft Register G-APAA to G-APZZ (Bernard Martin, Air Britain, 1978 p.81)
3. Illustrated London News - Saturday 18 July 1964
4. Daily Mirror - Saturday 11 July 1964
5. Daily Herald - Saturday 11 July 1964
6. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15801.0
7. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1093137/
8. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/81823-rollason-turbulent?p=1816969&page=2
9. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-APZZ-1.pdf
10. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-APZZ-2.pdf
11. https://www.airteamimages.com/druine-turbulent_G-APZZ_-private_144002.html
12. https://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/657884/rollason-d31-turbulent-g-apzz/
13. https://www.turbteam.com/The%20Turbulent/The%20Turbulent.htm
14. https://www.topfoto.co.uk/asset/2693330/ [photo of G-APZZ with pilot sitting on fuselage awaiting rescue]
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varne_Bank

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Aug-2009 23:51	VHKDK	Added
11-Dec-2011 13:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]
05-Jun-2012 15:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code]
01-Jun-2014 22:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Oct-2014 09:24	TB	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
08-Mar-2020 19:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Mar-2020 19:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]