ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 167649
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| Date: | Friday 29 August 1952 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Slingsby T.31B Cadet TX.3 |
| Owner/operator: | 143 GS ATC RAF |
| Registration: | WT8__? |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Kenley, Whyteleafe, Surrey, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Kenley, Surrey |
| RAF Kenley, Surrey | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Slingsby Kirby Cadet TX.3, 143 GS (Gliding School) ATC (Air Training Cadets), RAF: Written off (destroyed) 29/8/1952 when crashed at RAF Kenley, Whyteleafe, Surrey. Control was lost at the top of a winch launch at RAF Kenley. The glider dived into the ground. The pilot, who was undertaking his second-ever solo flight, made no attempt to recover from the dive, and died in the crash.
Crew of Cadet TX.3:
Cadet Denis John Bygrave (Pilot, aged 16) Air Training Corps, RAF, killed in a flying accident 29/8/1952. R.I.P.
At only 16 years old, it is believed Denis Bygrave was the youngest pilot to lose his life flying from RAF Kenley. The Coventry Evening Telegraph reported the tragedy on 29th August, 1952:
"Boy Killed in Glider Crash
A public school boy, aged about 16, was killed when his glider crashed on take-off at Kenley RAF Station, Whyteleafe, Surrey, today. The boy was one of a number who were taking part in Combined Cadet Force training at the aerodrome. The glider was one of a number allotted recently to school cadet forces for training. The boy’s next-of-kin are being informed".
Dennis was the eldest child of Edward G. Bygrave and Nellie (nee Davey) and had a sister, Joan, who was only six years old when he died. The family are believed to have come from the Brighton area: the pilot was a pupil at Brighton Grammar School at the time of the above accident.
The exact identity of the glider involved is not certain: The above newspaper report states "The glider was one of a number allotted recently to school cadet forces for training". This would imply that it was one of the batch of Slingsby Cadet TX.3 serialled WT865-WT877, and WT893-WT919, which were delivered between 2 July 1951 and 7 April 1952. However, all of these gliders have been "otherwise accounted for" (see link #5) and none of then were written off on 29 August 1952
Sources:
1. RAF.Org. Casualties-1952
2. Coventry Evening Telegraph 29th August, 1952:
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.286
4. https://www.kenleyrevival.org/content/service-people/cadet-dennis-john-bygrave
5. https://www.kenleyrevival.org/content/service_person_death_year/1952
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WT
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jun-2014 06:00 | angels one five | Added |
| 13-Jan-2016 09:02 | Koumes | Updated [Operator] |
| 08-Mar-2021 20:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Mar-2021 20:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Mar-2021 17:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jul-2023 20:47 | Nepa | Updated [[Registration, Source, Narrative]] |
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