This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can
submit corrected information.
Date: | Saturday 15 June 1940 |
Time: | 11:30 LT |
Type: | Airspeed Oxford Mk I |
Owner/operator: | 1 SFTS RNZAF |
Registration: | NZ279 |
MSN: | 0501 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Akaroa, Canterbury -
New Zealand
|
Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | RNZAF Wigram, New Zealand |
Destination airport: | RNZAF Wigram, New Zealand |
Narrative:Airspeed Oxford Mk.I NZ279: Built by Airspeed Ltd, Portsmouth, England, with RAF Serial P2032. Brought On Charge with Unit No.1, RNZAF Hobsonville on 24 April 1940 and assembled at No.1 Aircraft Depot. Assigned RNZAF Serial NZ279. Issued to No.1 SFTS, Wigram.
Written off (damaged beyond economic repair) when crashed 15 June 1940. Leading Aircraftmen J. L. McFadyen and F. M. McFarlane took the Oxford from No.1 Service Flying Training School, RNZAF Wigram on an air-to-ground gunnery exercise over the Birdlings Flat area. Later they flew to Akaroa, flying low over the main street. During a steep turn for another pass the aircraft stalled and spun, crashed, and burst into flames, ending up in the Main Street of Akaroa, Canterbury, near houses, killing both occupants, and injuring two people on the ground. Some eyewitnesses said they saw at least one pilot still alive, but were unable to get close because of the flames.
The two crew members are buried at Nelson and Greymouth respectively. Francis McFarlane had 182 hrs flying time of which 115 was solo, and 38 on the Oxford.
Parts of this aircraft were possibly used in the construction of Ground Instructional Airframe INST35 which was allotted to the Technical Training School, RNZAF Wigram.
Sources:
1. King, John (1995). Aviation Accidents and Disasters. New Zealand Tragedies. Wellington: Grantham House. p. 163. ISBN 1 86934 042 6. .
2. Ministry of Defence Accident File no. 25/2/63
3.
https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-airspeed-as10-oxford-i-akaroa-2-killed 4.
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/.au/nz-serials/nzoxford.htm 5.
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/unit_unknown.html#1506 6.
http://rnzaf.proboards.com/post/32788 7.
https://sites.google.com/site/oursoldierstories/work-cited Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
30-May-2009 01:13 |
XLerate |
Added |
08-Sep-2009 23:55 |
angels one five |
Updated |
17-Sep-2009 12:47 |
angels one five |
Updated |
17-Jan-2012 05:56 |
Nepa |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Source] |
07-Jun-2013 23:54 |
angels one five |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
24-Jul-2014 04:31 |
angels one five |
Updated [Time, Narrative] |
02-Jun-2015 13:27 |
ABBA |
Updated [Time, Operator] |
08-Oct-2015 00:27 |
angels one five |
Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
24-Jul-2017 22:14 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
24-Jul-2017 22:15 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |
10-Aug-2017 21:01 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
10-Aug-2017 21:02 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
20-Nov-2018 17:47 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
21-Mar-2019 21:14 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source] |
05-Feb-2022 04:51 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |