Date:	Wednesday 19 August 1936
Time:	17:00
Type:	de Havilland DH.60X Moth
Owner/operator:	The Royal Singapore Flying Club
Registration:	VR-SAH
MSN:	920
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Keppel Harbour, Singapore Harbour, off Sentosa Island -   Singapore
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Keppel Harbour, Singapore Harbour, off Sentosa Island, Singapore
Destination airport:

Narrative:
c/no.921: DH.60X [Cirrus III] Moth Seaplane registered as G-AADK [C of R 1836] 19.12.28 to The Singapore Flying Club, Singapore; (supplied via Shaw Darby & Co]. C of A 1811 issued 31.1.29. Overturned and sank on landing in Singapore Harbour, Singapore 25.8.29; badly damaged but salvaged and repaired. Spun in and crashed into Singapore Harbour 25.5.30; rebuilt from local spares c12.30. Owner renamed Royal Singapore Flying Club 10.31.

Fitted with Cirrus Hermes II engine 1932. Registration cancelled 1.9.34 as 'sold abroad'. Registered VR-SAH 14.7.34 to Royal Singapore Flying Club. Crashed in the bridge of steamer 'Silver Gull' in Keppel Harbour, Singapore Harbour, off Sentosa Island, Singapore 19.8.36; CFI Jack Sale badly injured & pupil Thomas Patrick Browne died of injuries.

According to a contemporary local newspaper report ("The Straits Times, 20 August 1936, Page 12 - see link #1)

"HOW THE PLANE CRASH HAPPENED.
Unable to gain height after takeoff, crashing into the bridge of the coastal steamer “Silver Gull” breaking off the engine and the wings of the aircraft. The two occupants of the aircraft were badly injured in the crash. One occupant died in hospital the next day. No injuries on the ship".

Registration VR-SAH cancelled 30.9.36. Registration restored [C of R 27] 18.12.37 to same owner; rebuilt as landplane & fitted with Gipsy I. Crashed on test flight 5.38; rebuilt (for the 4th time!). Written off (destroyed) when dived into sea ½ miles off Katong 25.10.38; pilot Police Inspector Richard Nunn killed; wreck not salvaged (see separate entry)

Keppel Harbour (Chinese: 吉宝港口 or 岌巴港口; pinyin: Jíbǎo Gǎngkǒu or Jíbā Gǎngkǒu; Malay: Pelabuhan Keppel), also called the Keppel Channel and formerly New Harbour, is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa (formerly Pulau Blakang Mati).

1. HOW THE PLANE CRASH HAPPENED. The Straits Times, 20 August 1936, Page 12: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19360820-1.2.74
2. INQUIRY INTO FLYING CLUB TRAGEDY. The Straits Times, 31 August 1936, Page 12: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19360831-1.2.71 (Report of Inquest into the death of the pupil pilot)
3. MR. BROWNE 'FROZE ON' THE CONTROLS. The Straits Times, 1 September 1936, Page 17 (2nd day of Inquest into the death of the pupil pilot): https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19360901-1.2.146
4. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p009.html
6. As G-AADK: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/gb-registers-g-aa/g-aa-part-1?highlight=WyJnLWFhZGsiXQ==
7. As VR-SAH: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-other-registers/vo-vp-vr?highlight=WyJnLWFhZGsiXQ==
8. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AADK.pdf
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VR-S.html
10. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A.html
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keppel_Harbour

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Aug-2021 11:24	Cobar	Added
22-Oct-2023 17:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated
23-Oct-2023 12:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated