Date:	Wednesday 7 October 1936
Time:	day
Type:	GAL Monospar ST.18 Croydon
Owner/operator:	Claude Ronald Anson
Registration:	G-AECB
MSN:	ST18/501
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Seringapatam Reef, Timor Sea, 300 km NW of Cape Leveque, WA -   Australia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Darwin, NT
Destination airport:	Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey (EGCR)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On 16.11.35, the sole GAL ST.18 Croydon aircraft first flew at Hanworth Aerodrome, piloted by Harry M. Schofield. Test flown in "Class B" markings as "T.22". It performed well, but did not attract any orders, so the aircraft was prepared to establish a record for an Australia to England flight.

First registered [C of R 6716] on 2.7.36 as G-AECB to General Aircraft Ltd., Hanworth Aerodrome, Hanworth, Middlesex. C of A 5543 issued July 1936. Sold on and re-registered [C of R 7162] on 2.7.36 to Claude Ronald Anson, Cronthall, Hampshire (aircraft remained based at Hanworth)

On 30.7.36, Lord Sempill, Harold "Tim" Wood, and two other crew left Croydon Airport for Australia. On 7.10.36, during the return flight from Darwin, navigation errors occurred during the flight over the Timor Sea, and the aircraft made a successful forced landing on a coral reef (Seringapatam Reef). The crew members were immediately transported off the reef by local fishermen, and the aircraft was abandoned. Registration G-AECB formally cancelled by the CAA on 2.12.36 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawal from use of aircraft"

(NOTE: Seringapatam Reef is one of a group of atoll-like reefs in the Timor Sea more than 300 km northwest of Cape Leveque, Western Australia, on the edge of the continental shelf. The group is just one of a number of reef formations off the northwest coast of Australia and belongs to Western Australia).

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Aircraft_Croydon
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_and_Seringapatam_Reefs
3. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AECB.pdf
4. photo: http://flic.kr/p/bAL2SB
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A8.html
6. http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/79-register-gb-g-ae
7. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203384.html
8. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203385.html
9. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203390.html
10. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203391.html

The sole Monospar ST-18, being test flown at Croydon 7 May1936 as "T.22": The sole Monospar ST-18 Croydon, June 1936

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
22-Apr-2013 00:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
22-Apr-2013 02:42	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
22-Apr-2013 02:49	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
25-Jan-2014 23:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
26-Feb-2014 00:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Destination airport, ]
21-Jan-2018 20:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
30-Oct-2023 15:13	Ron Averes	Updated