ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 200820
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| Date: | Sunday 24 June 1934 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.60G Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Scarborough Aero Club Co Ltd |
| Registration: | G-AACO |
| MSN: | 874 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | East Heslerton, near Malton, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Ganton, East Heslerton, Malton, North Yorkshire |
c/no. 874: DH.60G [Gipsy I] registered G-AACO [C of R 1804] 2.11.28 to John W.P. Chalmers, Stag Lane; named "Cygnet". C of A 1683 issued 20.11.28. Sold [after 6.30 but before 10.30) to Walter F Rickard, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire [but probably operated by his co-owned business, Rollason Aviation Co, Croydon]. C of A lapsed 29.11.30. Reported as registered in 10.31 to Surrey Flying Services Ltd, Croydon [but more likely to Rollason Aviation Co]; C of A renewed 22.12.31.
Operated (by 3.33) by [Rollason subsidiary] South Downs Aero Club, Ford, Sussex; still named "Cygnet". Registered [C of R 4776] 25.11.33 to Scarborough Aero Club Co Ltd, Ganton, East Heslerton, near Malton, North Yorkshire.
This aircraft was one of two Gipsy Moth aircraft owned by the Scarborough Aero Club and who based their aircraft at their aerodrome near East Heslerton, both aircraft were flown by their club members. During the evening of Sunday, 24.6.34, DH Gipsy Moth G-AACO was being flown around the area of the club site near East Heslerton by a young pilot when it dived into a field from around 800 feet. Upon crashing, the wreckage caught fire, and although it was witnessed by a number of people driving along the A64 road, none could attempt to rescue the pilot, because of the intense fire that resulted. In all probability, he was killed instantly in the crash.
No accident report has yet been found to add much detail into the incident. I have located a number of local newspapers reports which detail the accident and later the inquest into the pilot's death. In these reports the pilot was described as being an expert in aerobatics, but because of his young age he was not permitted to undertake cross country solo flights so had to stay in the area of the aerodrome. I guess that he was practicing aerobatics just before the crash. During his inquest his father stated that he suffered from nosebleeds and it was considered a possibility that he had suffered one in the air, blood was found to have risen into his goggles effecting his visibility and he may have lost control while trying to clear his vision. He did not recover control before it crashed.
The pilot was cremated in Hull and his ashes later scattered from an aeroplane over the Scarborough airfield at which he learnt to fly a few days later. He is probably the youngest pilot ever to have died in a flying accident in the UK. As a direct result of this incident, the law was amended so that no-one under the age of 17 was allowed to pilot an aircraft (a restriction that continues to this day)
Pilot - Mr Gerald Henry Lawson Royle, aged 16, of 32 Crown Lane Gardens, Streatham Common, North London, SW16. Registration G-AACO cancelled by/on 31.12.34.
Sources:
1. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
2. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AACO.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A.html
4. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60g-moth-malton-1-killed
6. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york34/aaco.html
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p008.html
8. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/gb-registers-g-aa/g-aa-part-1?highlight=WyJnLWFhY3UiXQ==
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Heslerton
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Nov-2017 22:22 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 07-Nov-2023 08:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
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