ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 172914
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| Date: | Saturday 30 September 1899 |
| Time: | 16:00 LT |
| Type: | Pilcher Hawk Glider |
| Owner/operator: | Percy Pilcher |
| Registration: | Unregistered |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire |
| Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On 30 September 1899, having completed his triplane, Percy Pilcher had intended to demonstrate it to a group of onlookers and potential sponsors in a field near Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, Leicestershirre. However, days before, the engine crankshaft had broken, and, so as not to disappoint his guests, he decided to fly the Hawk glider instead. The weather was stormy and rainy, but by 4 pm Pilcher decided the weather was good enough to fly.
Whilst flying, the tail snapped and Pilcher plunged 10 metres (30 feet) to the ground: he died two days later from his injuries with his triplane having never been publicly flown. This accident was possibly the first ever fatal crash of an aircraft in the UK.
Percy Pilcher is buried in Brompton Cemetery, West London.
Sources:
1. Mr Leicester'. 2008. The Rise and fall of Percy Pilcher. Leicester Mercury Saturday 2 February pp 16–17.
2. Burkeman, Oliver (1 December 2003). "Soaring ambition". The Guardian. London
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Pilcher#Death
4. http://www.flyingmachines.org/pilc.html
5. http://www.engineeringhalloffame.org/profile-pilcher.html
6. https://leicestershire-aviation.co.uk/aircraft-crashes-force-landings-in-leicestershire/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Hall,_Leicestershire#History
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jan-2015 14:46 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 12-Jan-2015 14:47 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 25-Oct-2022 15:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
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