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| Date: | Saturday 3 February 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 |
| Owner/operator: | 42 (Reserve) Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A71 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hanworth Aerodrome, Hanworth, Middlesex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Hounslow Heath, Hounslow, Middlesex |
| RFC Hounslow Heath, Hounslow, Middlesex |
3.2.17: Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, A71, 42 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Hounslow Heath, Hounslow, Middlesex. Written off (destroyed) when Overbanked, nose dived into the ground and caught fire on impact, Hanworth. Middlesex. Pilot - 2nd Lt Alexander Allan Gray MC (aged 22, formerly with the 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry) - was killed. According to the aircraft accident record card for R.E.8 A71:
"Court of Inquiry 87/9415
19/2/17
Flying accident. Pilot overbanked. Error in flying. It was the opinion of the Court of Inquiry that the accident was caused by the pilot overbanking on second right hand turn, resulting in a side slip and nose diving from a height of 700 feet. Fire caused by impact of machine with the ground"
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/389157/gray,-alexander-allan/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/gray-a.a.g.-alexander-allan
4. https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/1424989
5. https://airwar19141918.wordpress.com/tag/alexander-allan-gray/
6. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205300418
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jan-2019 19:16 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Jan-2019 19:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 19-Jan-2019 16:36 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, ] |
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