ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 19
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| Date: | Saturday 9 June 1951 |
| Time: | 21:00 |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.104 Dove 2 |
| Owner/operator: | Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan |
| Registration: | G-AJZT |
| MSN: | 04059 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hilden Park Road, Banstead, Surrey -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey (EGCR) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The aircraft, owned by Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan (awa Aly Khan), has just performed a low pass at Croydon Airport, taking part to an airshow. While flying to the southwest, the airplane was seen at low height with its starboard engine stopped. The airplane lost height, hit trees and crashed in a garden located in Hilden Park Road, Banstead, about five miles from Croydon airfield. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Captain Lawrence Benjamin, pilot (personal pilot of Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan (awa Aly Khan)
Captain Frederick Bosworth, co-pilot
Passenger:
Mrs. Barker.
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Dundee Courier" - Monday 11 June 1951)
"Aly Khan's pilot killed.
Captain Lawrence Benjamin, recently appointed personal pilot to Prince Aly Khan, was one of three killed when a twin-engined De Havilland Dove crashed into a garden in Banstead (Surrey) on Saturday night. Captain Benjamin was the pilot. The other two killed were Captain Frederick Bosworth, ex-R.A.F. man believed to be a partner in an Iraq air charter company, and a Mrs Barker, a friend of Captain Benjamin. The plane skimmed over a garden filled with guests attending a fete, snapped off the top of a tree and plunged into the garden of the adjoining house. The Dove, owned by Morton Air Services, had taken off from Croydon. It is understood the plane was recently sold to Morton Air Services by Prince Aly Khan."
Registration G-AJZT cancelled by the Secretary of State, Air Ministry on 12 February 1952 as "accident June 1951")
Sources:
1. Dundee Courier - Monday 11 June 1951
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 219/20: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C414792
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 219/21: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C414793
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AJZT.pdf
6. Photo of wreckage: https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/the-wreckage-of-a-de-havilland-dh104-dove-owned-by-prince-aly-khan-that-crashed-into-a-garden-in-banstead-surrey-next-door-to-where-the-local-conservative-association-was-holding-its-summer-fate-three-were-killed-the-pilot-captain-lawrence-benjami-1348619a
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?action=printpage;topic=7966.0
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Jan-2008 19:59 | W.Fischdick | Added |
| 05-Feb-2008 23:43 | JINX | Updated |
| 17-Mar-2010 06:58 | TB | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
| 06-Dec-2012 13:32 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 20-Dec-2012 02:53 | TB | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jan-2019 17:27 | Anon. | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2019 19:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Dec-2019 19:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 02-Mar-2020 01:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Jun-2020 18:09 | TB | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Jan-2021 23:24 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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