ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221155
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| Date: | Monday 26 March 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a |
| Owner/operator: | 56 Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A4857 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Court Moor, near Aldershot, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
26.3.17: Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a A4857, 56 Squadron, RFC Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire. Written off when pilot Lost control in blizzard, Court Moor, near Aldershot, Hampshire. Pilot - 2nd Lt John Leask (aged 25) - was killed. According to the aircraft accident record card for S.E.5a A4857:
"Court of Inquiry 87/7954
30/3/17
Flying accident. Blizzard caused loss of control. Machine nose dived into trees.
According to contemporary reports in "Flight" magazine (March 29, 1917 page 292 and April 5, 1917 page 322):
"Fatal Accidents
A VERDICT of " Accidental Death " was returned at an inquest at Aldershot on March 28th on Lieut. J. Leask R.F.C., who was caught in a blizzard while flying in a single seater aeroplane. Witnesses stated that the wind swung the machine completely round, but the pilot regained control
Sec. Lieut. John Leask, R.F.C., was killed while flying a military biplane at Court Moor, near Aldershot. An experienced airman, Lieutenant Leach was 600 feet high, when he was caught in a snow blizzard, which spun his machine round; he was able to right it and flew on some distance, when another blast caught the biplane, with the result that it turned a complete somersault and nosed down to earth. Witnesses stated that the wind swung the machine completely round, but the pilot regained control. The machine was swung round a second time, turned two somersaults and nose-dived from a height of 500 ft. The pilot's neck was broken."
Note that the report in "Flight" magazine for March 29 1917 mis-spells the pilots name as "Leach" not "Leask". The error was presumably corrected, as his name is spelled correctly in the April 5 1917 report
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/667169/leask,-/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/leask-j.-john
4. Flight Magazine (March 29, 1917 page 292): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200292.html?search=fitzsimmons
5. Flight magazine (April 5, 1917 page 322): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200322.html
6. http://www.56sqnfirebirds.org.uk/TheFirebirds/j_leask.htm
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122579082/john-leask
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jan-2019 20:36 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 27-Jan-2019 05:27 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 27-Jan-2019 13:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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