Date:	Monday 31 March 1975
Time:	day
Type:	Druine D.62B Condor
Owner/operator:	N.H. Jones t/a The Tiger Club Ltd
Registration:	G-AXGU
MSN:	RAE/640
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Eashing, near Godalming, Surrey -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Redhill Aerodrome, South Nutfield, Redhill, Surrey (EGKR)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 31 March 1975, when Druine D.62B Condor G-AXGU was owned by Norman Jones, then the éminence grise of the Tiger Club, it crashed near Godalming. The incident occurred at Eashing, to the west of Godalming. It looks to have been more of a forced landing than a crash. Apparently G-AXGU went through two fences after touching down. It was not repaired. In 1984 it was in store at Billingshurst, still awaiting repair. That year it went to Stapleford, to be rebuilt, but that appears not to have happened. In 1988 it was at Shoreham, serving as an instructional airframe with Chelsea College.

On 30 June 1980, five years post-accident, ownership transferred (C of R R.1094/3) to the Tiger Club, Redhill, Surrey. Registration cancelled by the CAA (and the airframe was de-registered) on 8 March 1988 as "Permanently withdrawn from use"

Within three years it was sold on and again went into store, this time in Lewes, awaiting a rebuild using parts from Druine D.62B Condor G-ARWG. Its wait there was in vain. By 1994 it was in store, again, but this time in Northumberland. However it returned south and went into store in the East Grinstead area in the early 2000s. I know not what became of it subsequently but in 2024 it is still de-registered.

Additional: The following from the PPRune website is a memory of flying G-AXGU in the early 1970s:

"Back in the early '70's I had many brushes with the D.62 Condor. I flew G-AXGU for many happy hours and many adventures. One was at Redhill when Chris Jesson wanted to come along and at the last minute dumped a dog on the back shelf. All was well until I started the engine and the dog departed over Chris's shoulder and the open door. It ended up stuck up to it's belly as all of it's feet went through the upper fabric but was supported on the, better, underside fabric. Michael Jones had one of his fits over that one although Chris and I fixed it in short order. Chris went on to fly for Dan Air and later BA from Gatwick. Not a good co-ordinated airplane but a good trainer never the less and lot of people got started thanks to Norman Jones".

Eashing is a hamlet 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Shackleford on the River Wey, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west of Godalming, and was part of the Hundred of Godalming; in the Anglo-Saxon era it was a significant place and is one of the burghs listed in the Burghal Hidage of Alfred the Great.

Eashing is now administered by Guildford Borough Council and is divided into Upper Eashing on top of the steep south-east bank and Lower Eashing set low, immediately below the A3 road embankment on the north-west bank. Lower Eashing has an ancient bridge over the River Wey which was constructed in the 14th century by monks from Waverley Abbey.

1. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=17342.0
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-AXGU/1003585
3. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-AXGU.html
4. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/115852-rollason-condor-memories.html
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shackleford#Eashing

Built 1969. First registered as G-AXGU on 3 June 1969 to Rollason Aircraft & Engineering Ltd, Croydon (manufacturers)(C of R R.1094/1). Sold on and re-registered (C of R R.1094/2) on 19 December 1969 to Norman H Jones, Claygate, Surrey. Then crashed/damaged in a forced landing 31 March 1975 at Eashing, Surrey as per the above.

On 30 June 1980, ownership transferred (C of R R.1094/3) to the Tiger Club, Redhill, Surrey. Registration cancelled by the CAA (and the airframe was de-registered) on 8 March 1988 as "Permanently withdrawn from use

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Sep-2024 06:12	Dr. John Smith	Added