Date:	Wednesday 3 July 1935
Time:	18:05 LT
Type:	Westland IV Wessex
Owner/operator:	Cobham Air Routes Ltd
Registration:	G-ADEW
MSN:	WA.1899
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	English Channel, 3 miles South of The Needles, Isle of Wight -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	L'Eree Aerodrome, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Destination airport:	Bournemouth Airport, Hurn, Bournemouth, Dorset.
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Westland Wessex serial number WA.1899, was granted its certificate of airworthiness (No.2616) on 6 August 1930. It was sold to Sabena in Belgium, and registered as OO-AGE. It was first UK registered as G-ADEW on 22 March 1935 (C of R 5708) to Sir Alan J Cobham KBE, AFC, London WC.2 (aircraft based at Ford Aerodrome, Yapton, West Sussex).

Unfortunately, this aircraft was lost in the Channel on 3 July 1935, 3 or 4 miles south off The Needles. Aircraft left Guernsey at 17:40 after difficulty in starting port engine. During crossing engine failed but the pilot Captain Robert William Henry Ogden continued on remaining two engines but could not maintain height and was forced to ditch. The only passenger on board, a Mr Charles Frederick H. Grainger, was picked up by the SS Stanmore and taken to Fowey, the next port of call for the SS Stanmore.

The pilot, Captain Robert William Henry Ogden, was presumed drowned within the aircraft and was never found. The blame was largely placed on Ogden, but was probably also due to the age of the Wessex airframes and their engines.

This accident was the last straw for Sir Alan, who was struggling operationally, and he sold his airline to Olley Air Service.

My father Walter Petre with pilot, Captain Bebb log shows searched for aircraft using Envoy G-ADBA flying from Bournemouth for 1.25 min.

Registration G-ADEW cancelled 2 November 1935 by the Air Ministry due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use of aircraft"

1. Book: "From Sea Eagle to Flamingo"" by Nevile Doyle. Published by Self Publishing Association ISBN 854421 103
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ADEW.pdf
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_IV#Cobham_Air_Routes_Ltd
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-westland-wessex-needles-1-killed
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/17/C314: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6576782
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A6.html
7. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1937.htm
8. http://www.airportofcroydon.com/Cobham%20Air%20Routes.html
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15833.0
10. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/airfields/xchairlines.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
14-Jan-2010 09:07	Pete Andre	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
09-Dec-2011 07:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
20-Mar-2012 12:07	TB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
04-Jun-2014 17:02	michael	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ]
01-Oct-2017 22:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
03-Jan-2018 22:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
08-Mar-2020 22:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
03-Sep-2020 14:49	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
13-Nov-2020 20:42	Sergey L.	Updated [Narrative, ]