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| Date: | Thursday 30 September 1976 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Mooney M20E |
| Owner/operator: | Avon Electrics (Wholesalers) Ltd |
| Registration: | G-AZOP |
| MSN: | 21-0023 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Luton Airport, Luton, Bedfordshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Luton Airport, Befordshire (LTN/EGGW) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
G-AZOP, a Mooney M20C, was involved in a fatal crash at Luton Airport on 30 September 1976. The accident occurred during a training flight when the aircraft collided with a parked Piper PA-23 Aztec on the runway during takeoff. The crash resulted in the deaths of four people: the pilot and three passengers on board the Mooney M20C. (The Piper Aztec was apparently 'parked up' and unoccupied at the time). The pilot was attempting a touch-and-go landing, and the collision happened due to the parked Aztec obstructing the runway, with visibility possibly reduced by fog or darkness.
The victims were: John William James, the pilot, a 48-year-old flying instructor from Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
John Arthur Crouch, a 54-year-old student pilot from Watford, Hertfordshire.
John Barry Crouch, a 17-year-old passenger (son of John Arthur Crouch) from Watford, Hertfordshire.
Christopher Brian Crouch, a 15-year-old passenger (son of John Arthur Crouch) from Watford, Hertfordshire.
No mechanical defects were reported, and the inquiry pointed to operational factors, such as the pilot’s failure to detect the parked aircraft, as a likely cause. Registration cancelled as "destroyed" 16/5/1977.
Sources:
1. Bucks Free Press 30 September 1976
2. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976
3. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AZOP.pdf
4. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-AZOP/1039538
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luton_Airport#Accidents_and_incidents
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2008 11:10 | ASN archive | Added |
| 24-Jun-2012 15:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 19-Jul-2015 22:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 19-Jul-2015 22:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 08-Jun-2022 19:01 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Category, ] |
| 04-Jul-2025 14:30 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative, Category, ] |
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