Date:	Tuesday 4 October 1949
Time:	dusk
Type:	de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide
Owner/operator:	Weston Air Service
Registration:	EI-AEA
MSN:	6433
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Highfield Farm, near Hutton Cranswick, Driffield, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Weston Aerodrome, Dublin, Eire (EIWT)
Destination airport:	RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
c/no.6433: Registered G-AFMG [C of R 8904] 9.12.38 to Airwork Ltd, Heston. C of A 6461 issued 1.2.39. Operated by School of Air Navigation, Shoreham; later 7 CANS Perth; renamed 7 AONS 30.11.39. To 6 AONS Staverton 23.5.40. Registration cancelled 15.7.40 by Secretary of State.

Impressed into RAF as Z7259 15.7.40 and retained by 6 AONS. Sometime coded “6”. To DeHavilland Witney, Oxfordshire for major inspection 27.6.42. To 18 MU RAF Dumfries 4.9.42. To ATA White Waltham 21.2.43.To DeHavilland Witney, Oxfordshire for major inspection 1.8.44. To 5 MU RAF Kemble. Gloucestershire 2.12.44 for storage and disposal

Sold 6.12.46 to Portsmouth Aviation Ltd. Previous registration G-AFMG restored 11.12.46 to Portsmouth Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth. C of A renewed 10.1.47. Registration cancelled 21.5.48 as 'sold abroad'.

Re-registered in Ireland as EI-AEA 26.7.48 to Weston Ltd; operated by Weston Air Service, Weston.

Crashed on landing 4.10.49 at dusk and without customs clearance at Highfield Farm, Southburn Road, near Hutton Cranswick, Driffield, North Yorkshire. This aeroplane was owned by Weston Air Service, based at Weston airfield, Kildare, Ireland. The company operated charter flights to airfields in the UK. Weston to Speke and Ringway were two of their regular routes.

On Tuesday, 4th October 1949 it flew from Weston (Dublin) to Speke, Liverpool where it landed. It then flew to Driffield, landed and then was intending on flying a few miles further south and landing at Hutton Cranswick to pick up a local farmer, Mr Frank Farnsworth, who was booked to travel in the aircraft to Ireland. By the time it was over East Yorkshire it was evening. The landing was made in a field at Highfield Farm, Hutton Cranswick but after touching down the starboard brakes failed. This caused the aircraft to swing of its line and head toward farm buildings. All three occupants received superficial injuries. The pilot could not stop the aircraft before it collided with farm buildings and it damaged the port wing and engine.

Crew of DH.89A EI-AEA
Pilot - Captain F O'Reilly. Injured.
Second Pilot - J Roberts. Injured.
Navigator/Radio Operator - W Sampson. Injured.

The newspaper reports of the day specifically name the two pilots and wireless operator (so three crew) and they were the only three in the aircraft at the time (which contradicts some other reports). No passengers were on board, as the incident happened before any could board. Wreck taken to Ringway Airport, Manchester on 10.11.49. Later sold to W.A. Rollason Ltd, Croydon for spares (and possibly to Israel)

Hutton Cranswick is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles (5 km) south from Driffield town centre, and on the A164 road.

1. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh89.pdf
2. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/15-aeroplanes/80-register-gb-g-af
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A11.html
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFMG.pdf
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh89a-dragon-rapide-hutton-cranswick
6. http://www.airliners.net/photo/Weston-Ltd/De-Havilland-DH-89A/1733295?sid=85ed607873dbfc51e2b1b1729424aead
7. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 217/2584: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C576738
8. https://zestate.co.uk/address/Highfield-Farm,-Southburn-Road,-DRIFFIELD,-North-Humberside,-YO25-9AF/29839108/
9. https://mapcarta.com/W303690015
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutton_Cranswick

De Havilland Dragon Rapide EI-AEA of Weston Ltd, Weston Aiport, Dublin, at Liverpool (Speke) Airport in 1949

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
28-Dec-2011 16:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
28-Dec-2011 16:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative, ]
15-Feb-2018 15:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
21-Feb-2019 16:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]
18-Mar-2019 21:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, ]
10-Dec-2019 18:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]
16-Mar-2025 20:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative, Category, ]