ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 189541
Last updated: 29 October 2020
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| Date: | 21-JUL-1939 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Kent Flying Club |
| Registration: | G-ABJZ |
| C/n / msn: | 1842 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Beeches Wood, Tilmanstone, near Deal, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Berkesbourne Aerdrome, Canterbury, Kent |
| Berkesbourne Aerdrome, Canterbury, Kent |
C/no. 1842 DH.60G [Gipsy II] registered as G-ABJZ [C of R 3070] March 1931 to Leslie J Marr, Stanley Park. C of A 2958 issued 27.3.31. Sold (pre 1935) to H.E. Hudson, Castle Bromwich. Registered [C of R 6128] 27.7.35 to John G. Underwood, Heston. Registered [C of R 7369] 25.9.36 to Airsales & Service Ltd, Bekesbourne. Re-registered [C of R 7424] 31.10.36 to Ivan C Randrup, Bekesbourne. Re-registered [C of R 8610] 5.7.38 to Airsales & Service Ltd, and operated by Kent Flying Club, Bekesbourne.
Destroyed is a Mid-air collision with Hawker Hind K5418 (of RAF Oxford University Air Squadron) over Beeches Wood, Tilmanstone, near Deal, Kent 21.7.39; 3 killed, including Keith Kendall "K.K." Brown, Chief Flying Instructor, Kent Flying Club, and passenger/pupil pilot Donovon William Alan Pragnell, on board Moth G-ABJZ. The Hind was on a map-reading exercise between Dover and Dymchurch when it was struck from above and behind by a Gypsy Moth of the Kent Flying Club.
It appeared that the tail of one aircraft came into contact with the other aircraft over Tilmanstone and both crashed to the ground, the Moth landing separately from its engine, which was carried 200 yards from the plane. The Hind lost its tail and the pilot landed about 20 yards from his aircraft, while the tail fell in a cornfield about 50 yards beyond the Gypsy Moth. Both machines were completely wrecked.
It appeared, said the Coroner, at an inquest, that a collision occurred in mid-air over a cornfield adjoining Beeches Wood, Tilmanstone, between a Hind aeroplane, piloted by Lewis (who was in camp at Lympne), and a Gypsy Moth, flown by Brown. The latter was a man of considerable experience. He had been a flying officer in the RAF and afterwards Chief instructor at the Cinque Ports Flying Club, Lympne. He had been two years at the Kent Flying Club at Bekesbourne.
The pilot of the Hind, Pilot-Officer D.C.Lewis RAFVR, and the Chief Flying Instructor of the Kent Flying Club along with his pupil, died in the accident. Registration G-ABJZ cancelled 25.7.39.
NOTE: Some sources state in error that FOUR persons were killed (two in the Hind, two in the Moth). However, there was only one person (the pilot) on board Hawker Hind K5418, making a total of three fatalities
Sources:
1. http://www.santafe.gov.ar/hemerotecadigital/diario/18563/
2. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
3. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/76-register-gb-g-ab
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A2.htmll
5. http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=10567.0
6. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939-1-%20-%200318.html
7. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ABJZ.pdf
8. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm
Related books:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Aug-2016 13:19 | TB | Added |
| 18-Aug-2017 21:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Aug-2017 21:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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