ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 208254
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| Date: | Monday 24 April 1939 |
| Time: | 14:40 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 56 (Punjab) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L1599 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Newlands Farm, Margaretting, near Ingatestone, Essex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF North Weald, Essex |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Hawker Hurricane L1599: Written off (destroyed) 24/04/1939 when dived into the ground at Margaretting, near Ingatestone, Essex. Sgt Sidney Victor Evetts (pilot) RAF - was killed. According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (May 4, 1939 page 456 - see link #4)
"Flying Accidents
THE Air Ministry regrets to announce the following accidents: —
Sgt. Sidney Victor Evetts (flying solo) lost his life in an accident to an aircraft of No. 56 Squadron near Chelmsford, Essex, on April 24"
According to a published internet source (see link #3):
"Monday 24th April 1939, Sgt Sidney Victor Evetts climb's into his Hawker Hurricane and straps in, ready to do an hour of aerobatic practice, the aircraft bursts into life. As Sgt Evetts completes his vital pre-flight checks, temps and pressures ok, he turns the aircraft onto the then grass runway, the Hurricane takes to the air and heads to the east, the time is 13.55 hours.
By 15.15 hours, the Hurricane and Sgt Evetts had not returned, and was then reported overdue.
At approximately 14.40 hours over the village of Ingatestone, Essex near the main A12 road, the sound of an aircraft could be heard, the aircraft broke cloud at around 2,000 feet (600 metres) out of control and in a steep dive, it vanished towards the village of Margaretting. The Hurricane crashed into a meadow at Newlands Farm, Margaretting, killing its pilot Sgt Sidney Victor Evetts.
An inquest was held at the Shire Hall, Chelmsford.
Witness, Police Constable Gilder; " I was stationary in a motor car at 2.30 pm, and heard the roar and looked up to see an RAF monoplane dive slowly, spiral and disappear behind the railway line".
Witness, Police Constable Bland: "Parts of the aircraft were strewn over 200 yards".
Identification; Flt Lt Soden Of RAF North Weald, proved it was Sgt Evetts by his wallet and the number on the Gun Camera
VERDICT; Coroner, L.F. Beccles, recorded a verdict of accidental death"
In September 1977, a team of aviation archeologists excavated the crash site and recovered some small parts of the airframe that had not been recovered at the time
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm
3. http://www.aviationmuseum.co.uk/evetts.htm
4. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939%20-%201347.PDF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Mar-2018 22:28 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 03-Oct-2018 07:02 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 11-Oct-2019 22:31 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 12-Apr-2024 09:48 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
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