ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 2121
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| Date: | Friday 28 May 1937 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Hawker Audax Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 4 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K1997 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near South Wanborough, 3 miles South of RAF Odiham, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Odiham, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Hawker Audax K1997, 4 Squadron, RAF Odiham: Written off (destroyed) when crashed after collison with Hawker Audax K2031 during formation change, near South Warnborough, three miles south of Odiham, Hampshire. (At approximate co ordinates 51.221305°N 0.966875°W). One of the two crew of K1997 was killed, one survived:
AC Leslie Hall (air gunner, aged 26) killed
Flying Officer Ronald Noel Smith (pilot) - baled out, survived
One of the two crew of Hawker Audax Mk.I K2031 was also killed, whilst the other baled out and survived (which see).
According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (June 3, 1937 page 562 - see link #4)
"FLYING ACCIDENTS
The Air Ministry regrets to announce that A/C.1 F. T. flicks and A/C.1 L. Hall lost their lives in a collision in the air which occurred at South Farnborough on May 28 between two aircraft of No. 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron. They were the passengers of their respective aircraft. The pilots were F/O R. N. Smith, who was slightly injured, and P/O . G. V. Smither, who was uninjured."
According to the following excerpt from "Hansard" the written record of Parliamentary debates for 28/7/37 (see link #3):
"Odiham Accident (two airmen killed), 28th May, 1937.
Four Audax aircraft of No. 4 Squadron were to take off in V formation and, when in the air, to assume diamond formation. On a signal from the leader they were to assume "echelon right" in which the leader and the right hand aircraft retained their position, the rear aircraft of the diamond moved to third on the right, and, when this pilot had taken up his new position, the left aircraft of the diamond moved across to right rear.
Each aircraft would then be at the same height, and behind and to the right of the one in front of it. The flight would then be in the correct formation preparatory to a dive on the aerodrome, a perfectly normal procedure for an Army Co-operation Squadron and one which involved no aerobatics. Several rehearsals were carried out by the same pilots, each of whom was conversant with the movements involved and thoroughly experienced in flying these aircraft.
On 28th May the exercise proceeded normally until the change of formation from diamond to echelon right. The first part of the change was successful, but the left hand aircraft of the diamond, in moving to its new position, came dangerously close to No. 3 in the echelon. In endeavouring to get clear, it collided with No. 3 at 5,000 feet. The two aircraft locked, separated and began to spin.
Both pilots were wearing pilot type parachutes, but the two passengers, though wearing the harness, had their parachute packs detached. This was a contravention of King's Regulations, which require parachute packs to be kept attached by all occupants of an aircraft except when the wearing of them would hamper the efficient execution of duty. In this case the airmen were not called upon to act in any capacity other than passengers, and had no duties to perform which necessitated detaching the packs.
Regarding the spin of each aircraft subsequent to the collision, in one case the airman, in attempting to attach his parachute to his harness lost it overboard, and was killed by jumping or being thrown out of the aircraft. In the other case the airman remained in the aircraft and was killed in the crash. The two pilots, after making every effort to right their respective aircraft, abandoned them at the last minute consistent with safety and landed uninjured."
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 12)
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1937.htm
3. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1937/jul/28/empire-air-day-displays-accidents
4. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%201486.html
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Warnborough
6. 4 Squadron RAF ORB (Air Ministry Form 540) 01/10/22-31/01/45: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2502683
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Feb-2008 13:28 | JINX | Added |
| 04-Mar-2018 16:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Mar-2018 16:42 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Other fatalities, Narrative] |
| 04-Mar-2018 16:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 04-Mar-2018 17:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Apr-2018 16:48 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Oct-2018 19:48 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
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