ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221653
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| Date: | Sunday 3 June 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Avro 504A |
| Owner/operator: | 38 (Trg) Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A465 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
| RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
3.6.17: Avro 504A A465, 38 (Training) Squadron, RFC Rendcomb. Written off (destroyed) when failed to recover from a Spinning nose dive, RFC Rendcomb, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Pilot - Sgt William Charles Turner (Service Number 1022, aged 26) - was killed. Pilot on first solo flight, aircraft caught fire on impact with the ground. According to the aircraft accident record card for Avro 504A A465:
"Court of Inquiry 87/acc/134
15/6/17
Flying accident. Spinning nose dive. It was the opinion of the Court of Inquiry that the accident was due to the pilot failing to recover from a spinning nose dive, caused by too flat a turn, aggravated by the engine being left fully on".
According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (June 14, 1917 page 593 - see link #4)
"Fatal Accidents
An inquest was held on June 4th on Sergt. W. C. Turner, R.F.C., who was killed on the previous day. He had been training as a pilot, and was making his first flight alone. All went well, and he had good command of the machine, but on descending he overshot the mark and went up into the air again. Getting to a height of about 1,000 feet, he appeared to lose his nerve in making another descent, and giving too much "left rudder", the aeroplane took an erratic downward course, finishing with a nose-dive.
The force of the impact with the ground caused the petrol tank to burst, and Turner was badly burnt before he could be extricated. It was then found that he had sustained fracture of the skull and dislocation of the neck, and death had occurred before the petrol tank burst. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned".
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/669910/turner,-william-charles/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/turner-w.c.-william-charles
4. Flight magazine (June 14, 1917 page 593): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200593.html?search=Fatal%20Accidents
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Feb-2019 00:07 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 09-Feb-2019 05:45 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 12-Nov-2019 23:15 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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