Date:	Sunday 6 October 1935
Time:	day
Type:	Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel
Owner/operator:	Cyril Frederick Brooke (regd. owner)
Registration:	G-ADPP
MSN:	CB/HS/4
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield, Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Sherburn-In-Elmet Airport (EGCJ)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel G-ADPP, Cyril Frederick Brooke, Woodside, Fartown, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (registered owner): Registered as G-ADPP, with MSN "CB/HS/4", on 24.9.35. A to F (Application to Fly) No.9, issued 25.9.35, expired 23.8.36. Started April 1935 and finished on or before 7.9.35. Ground-run in a barn at Fixby, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with a Scott A.2S engine.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) on or about 6.10.35 during early test flying at Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield, North Yorkshire. The aircraft "Nose-dived on takeoff and overturned at Sherburn-in-Elmet. The pilot Arthur Morton, was unhurt". As reported in detail in "Air Yorkshire" Magazine ("September 2024 pp.5-6):

"...by 7th September [1935] the first of the Huddersfield Fleas was completed by Cyril Brooke's team. With great interest being shown in this Flea it was placed on display to the public for a day, Sunday 8th from 2.30pm in a field at the end of Prospect Road, Longwood, Huddersfield to allow the crowds the opportunity of having a close up look. Thousands turned up from around the county to see the Flea and police had to regulate the traffic.

The "Sheffield Independent" proudly announced that the paper had arranged a flying display at Norton, near Sheffield for 12th September. Sir Alan Cobham would take part and Mignet's own Flying Flea would also be
there. This was a common pairing while Mignet was in the country with his aircraft and at Norton the public were guaranteed two display flights by the Flea. These aircraft were also at Rothwell, near Wakefield the following weekend of 14th and 15th where the Flea was the centre of attention. The field used was by Wood Lane/Wakefield Rd. It was very well attended with the crowd giving most attention to Mignet's Flea. Meanwhile Cyril Brooke's Flea was granted its Authorisation to fly by the Air Ministry on 25th September and became the first Flea in the country [of Yorkshire] to be registered, as G-ADPP.

On 6th October [1935], having now been officially registered, the Flea built by Cyril Brooke's team in Huddersfield began its flight trials at Sherburn. The headline in the 'Huddersfield Examiner' on 12th [October 1935] reflected how it went, "The Flea Flies and Crashes". The three constructors of course had great hopes of making a successful first flight. It was a day of blue sky and sunshine with a little breeze and there was a gathering of just a dozen spectators to witness the events. In addition, two observers were there from Scott Motorcycles to see how their engine performed, they were Mr R A Vinter, managing director and Mr W Cull its designer.

The Flea managed two short hops with different pilots before it came to grief on the third. From a height of only 6 feet, it nose-dived wrecking both propeller blades and its undercarriage. Its pilot Arthur Morton, a farmer, crawled from the wreckage unhurt. The pilot explained that as he was coming into land the Flea was caught by a crosswind pushing the nose down and when it nosed down too far the aircraft crashed and turned over. Surprisingly the two pilots, Messrs Lawton and Morton, were otherwise pleased with their Flea's performance and promised a resumption of flying once a new propeller had been made".

The ultimate fate of Flying Flea G-ADPP is not confirmed: According to Ken Ellis (see link #10) "Not repaired and stored in a warehouse. A Carden-Ford engine was ordered, but cancelled after the death of Sir John Carden on 10.12.35. (Sir John Carden was killed in the crash of a SABENA S.73 on 10.12.35). Air Ministry assessed as "category E, 1939, owner C F Brooke, location Sherburn, Yorkshire. Described as ' crashed'". The last entry on the aircraft record for G-ADPP is "Cancelled Due to Destruction or Permanent Withdrawal from use of aircraft" on 5.11.45 (Census 1945).

From this, it can be inferred that the Air Ministry contacted the registered owner in 1945, to confirm the continued existence (or not) of G-ADPP. As it could not be confirmed that G-ADPP still existed, the registration was cancelled on 5.11.45.

NOTE: Two sources (see link #5 & #6) report that G-ADPP was "WFU ("Withdrawn from Use") in 1937 (and was presumably scrapped sometime after that)

1. Huddersfield Examiner 12 October 1935
2. Henri Mignet and His Flying Fleas (A Foulis Aviation Book) Hardcover by Ken Ellis & Geoff Jones (G T Foulis 15 May 1990) ISBN 978-0854297658
3. Air Yorkshire Magazine September 2024 pp.5-6: https://magazines.airyorkshire.org.uk/Air.Yorkshire.September.2024.pdf
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ADPP.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mignet_HM.14#Accidents_and_incidents
6. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-gb-registers-g-ad/g-ad-part-2?highlight=WyJnLWFkcHAiXQ==
7. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ADPP.html
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A7.html
9. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Accb1939.htm
10. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1998.pdf p.98
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherburn-in-Elmet_Airfield#Pre-War_and_Wartime_history

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Jul-2025 16:29	Dr. John Smith	Added