ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 162918
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| Date: | Tuesday 6 September 1927 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: |  Avro 594 Avian II |
| Owner/operator: | Lancashire Aeroplane Club |
| Registration: | G-EBRC |
| MSN: | R3/AV/118 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel, Woody Bay, St. Lawrence, near Ventnor, Isle of Wight -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Copenhagen, Denmark (EKCH) |
| Hamble, Hampshire (EGHM) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Avro 594 Avian II: Registered G-EBRC [C of R 1374] 30.4.27 to A.V. Roe & Co Ltd. C of A 1129 issued 13.5.27, and loaned to Lancashire Aeroplane Club, Woodford 14.5.27.
G-EBRC had participated in the Air Show at Copenhagen, Denmark on 4.9.27, Dudley Watt winning first prize, climb speed reaching 3,900 m in 90 min 12 sec. and second prize in the 45 minute maximum altitude competition (in which he achieved a height of 8,850 feet). Two days later he departed Copenhagen for Hamble, Hampshire. However as a result of a navigational error, he ran short of fuel and had to ditch the Avian at Woody Bay, St. Lawrence, near Ventnor, Isle of Wight.
The ditching was reported in Flight magazine of 15 September 1927, the headline to which referred to Dudley Watt as 'Dangerous Dan'! It read as follows:
"Mr. Dudley Watt, a well-known private owner, crashed in the sea off Ventnor, Isle of Wight, when returning from the Copenhagen meeting. He had run short of petrol and just missed in an effort to land on the cliffs, with the result that he fell on to the rocks below and the machine sank in the water. Neither he nor his passenger, Mr Stone, was injured. His difficulties had been added to by the compass failing, and visibility being very bad"
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Hampshire Telegraph" - Friday 09 September 1927)
"AIRMEN IN PERIL.
Southampton 'Plane Crashes on Island Rocks.
At 4.30 on Tuesday afternoon, an Avro aeroplane, flying from Dusseldorf to Southampton, crashed on to the rocks at Woody Bay, St. Lawrence, near Ventnor, and its two occupants had a miraculous escape from death or serious injury.
It appears that the machine had been engaged in experimental racing at Copenhagen, and left Dusseldorf on Tuesday at 1 p.m. for home. The pilot was Mr. Dudley Allister Nixon Watt (21), of Brooklands Aerodrome, Byfleet, Surrey, and with him was his mechanic, Mr. Wilfrid Thomas Stone (25), of 7, Spring Close, Spring Road, Sholing, Southampton. The machine should have crossed the coast at Hythe, but owing to thick, heavy weather, and consequent bad visibility, coupled with compass trouble, the pilot completely lost his bearings, and got well down the English Channel. When he sighted the cliffs at St. Lawrence he had not the faintest idea where he was.
At this time the petrol was getting dangerously low - the precious fluid could he seen rapidly disappearing - and when an attempt was made to dive the machine in to a meadow beyond the cliff edge, the petrol failed, and the aeroplane nose-dived. From a height of 100 feet it crashed on to the rocks close in to the shore, on which a heavy sea was pounding. A few more seconds and the 'plane would have landed safely on the cliffs above.
The plight of the aeroplane was noticed by one or two men in the vicinity, who rushed with ropes to the aid of the airmen, and the latter with some difficulty, managed to scramble ashore. It was reported that the mechanic was entangled in the machine, and was submerged for a couple of minutes, but the statement lacks confirmation. Neither of the men appeared to have suffered any injury, though they were naturally somewhat exhausted after their perilous adventure.
The two airmen were promptly befriended by Mr. Strange, of Belvedere, St. Lawrence, who lent them a change of clothes and put them up for the night.
Messrs. Geo. Spencer and Sons, of Ventnor, commendably hastened to the scene with a couple of boats to render assistance if necessary, but their services were not actively required.
The gallant airmen had won three silver cups on the Continent, but fortunately they were not bringing them home by air. They had the mortification of seeing some of their clothing wash away from the stranded machine.
The Air Ministry, Customs officials, and police were notified Of the occurrence, and subsequently visited the spot. The spot at which the accident occurred is near the well-known "Sugar Loaf," a popular resort of visitors in the holiday season."
Registration G-EBRC cancelled 28.10.27 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawal from use of aircraft"
Sources:
1. Flight magazine of 15 September 1927
2. Hampshire Telegraph - Friday 9 September 1927
3. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EBRC.pdf
4. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-great-bitain-registers-g-eb
5. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Avian
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E3.html
7. http://wight.hampshireairfields.co.uk/iowc.html
8. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/avian.pdf
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14961.0
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Bay,_Isle_of_Wight
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Dec-2013 22:07 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Feb-2020 17:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Feb-2020 17:31 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Feb-2020 17:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Source] |
| 19-Nov-2022 18:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
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