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| Date: | Monday 19 April 1937 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Vickers Type 271 Wellington Prototype |
| Owner/operator: | A&AEE RAF |
| Registration: | K4049 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Waldringfield, Suffolk, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk |
| RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk |
First flight June 15th 1936: On April 19th, 1937 an 'RAF Bomber' (actually the Prototype Vickers Wellington, K4049) crashed in the neighbourhood of Waldringfield, Suffolk. According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (April 29, 1937 page 424 - see link #6):
"FLYING ACCIDENTS
The Air Ministry regrets to announced that A/C.1 George Peter Smurthwaite lost his life in an accident which occurred near Waldringfield, Suffolk, on April 19, to an aircraft of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Martlesham Heath. A/C.1 Smurthwaite was a passenger in the aircraft, which was piloted by F/Lt. Maurice Hare, who received slight injuries."
The pilot F/Lt. Maurice Hare (RAFO) escaped by parachute but his passenger AC.1 George Peter Smurthwaite was killed. The aircraft belonged to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Martlesham Heath. Hare jumped from the aircraft just before the crash occurred, and was found lying in a field about a quarter of a mile from where the machine fell where he had slight injuries. The cause of the crash was attributed to elevator overbalance in a high-speed dive, which resulted in inversion and structural failure.
According to some sources, Flt Lt Maurice Hare did not jump from the aircraft but "was thrown out through the cockpit roof as the tail disintegrated in a diving trial of the aircraft".
Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Lieutenant Maurice Hare RAF
2nd Pilot : Pilot Officer Peter Richard Vincent Sullivan RAAF Aus/403385 [Killed]
Leading Aircraftman George Peter Smirthwaite RAF [Killed]
Sources:
1. Air-Britain The K File The RAF of the 1930s
2. Aeroplane Monthly July 1986
3. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13419-quot-RAF-Bomber-quot-crash-A-amp-AEE-Martlesham-Heath-April-19th-1937
4. http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=40
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-wellington-raf-martlesham-heath-1-killed
6. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%201120.html
7. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Feb-2008 12:11 | JINX | Added |
| 26-Oct-2011 01:02 | harro | Updated [Source, ] |
| 26-Feb-2012 05:40 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, ] |
| 26-Jan-2013 15:46 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, ] |
| 22-Jul-2013 03:58 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Source, ] |
| 19-Oct-2014 17:22 | yarbi | Updated [Operator, ] |
| 14-Jan-2017 20:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 10-Apr-2018 19:34 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Oct-2018 08:19 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 18-Feb-2019 14:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, ] |
| 10-Dec-2024 09:52 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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