ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 18750
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| Date: | Friday 19 February 1954 |
| Time: | 09:00 LT |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide |
| Owner/operator: | Oldstead Aircraft |
| Registration: | G-AFMF |
| MSN: | 6432 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Stooprigg Fell, 2 miles W of Simonburn, Hexham, Northumberland -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Newcastle Airport, Woolsington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (NCL/EGNT) |
| Dublin Airport, Dublin, Ireland (DUB/EIDW) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
c/no.6432: Registered G-AFMF [CofR 8903] 9.12.38 to Airwork Ltd, Heston. CofA 6460 issued 20.1.39. 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 Z7256 15.7.40 and retained by 6 AONS. Sometime coded “5”. To De Havilland Witney for repairs (after Cat B accident) 8.3.42. To 5 MU Kemble 27.5.42. To Gloster Aircraft Ltd for use as communications aircraft 13.10.42. To 5 MU Kemble 8.10.45 for disposal.
Sold 11.2.46 to Air Schools Ltd. Registration G-AFMF restored 26.1.46 to Norman Roy Harben, of Air Schools, Burnaston. C of A renewed 20.8.46. Re-registered 24.8.46 to Kennings Ltd, Burnaston. Re-registered 17.1.47 to Dennis L Steiner t/a Steiners Air Services, Speke. Re-registered 9.9.47 to Reginald Jones t/a Belle Vue Flying Service, Barton (operated for British Cellulose Industries). Registered 4.3.48 to British Cellulose Industries (Manchester) Ltd t/a BCI Airways, Barton.
Damaged on landing at Barton 30.5.48 and sold 30.8.48. Stored and registered 19.1.49 to Roy C Jarvis, Leicester. Re-registered 23.3.49 to Adie Aviation Ltd, Croydon. Rebuilt in early 1950 using parts from G-AHXY. Registered 18.4.50 to John Weston Adamson t/a Oldstead Aircraft, Sunderland, County Durham (aircraft based at Newcastle Airport, Woolsington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland). C of A renewed 18.5.50.
Crashed due to icing in cloud and destroyed by fire 19.2.54 on Stooprigg Fell, 2 miles West of Simonburn, near Hexham, Northumberland. According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (September 24, 1954 page 502, see link #1)
"AN ICED-UP RAPIDE
THE accidents investigation branch of the M.T.C.A. has published its report on the accident to Rapide G-AFMF on February 19th. The Rapide, flown by Mr. B. K. Waugh and operated by John Weston Adamson (trading as Oldstead Aircraft), took off from Woolsington Airport, Newcastle, for a charter flight to Dublin. About ten minutes after take off, when flying in cloud the pilot saw ice forming on the wing leading edges and found that the aircraft would not climb above 3,200ft.
Shortly afterwards, he lost control of the aircraft, which struck the ground in a level attitude while he was trying to regain control. Fire broke out but the pilot and seven passengers escaped serious injury. The report holds the pilot responsible for the accident "in that he did not exercise care when studying the weather forecast: [which gave the freezing level as 1,500ft] and in consequence made a flight which should not have taken place."
During the investigation the pilot stated that he had chosen a cruising level of 6,000ft, as he thought the forecast freezing level to be 15,000ft. The investigators found, however, that the holder of a commercial pilot's licence should have had sufficient knowledge of meteorology to realize that such a forecast, which included references to snow and sleet on hills, was most improbable in mid-February.
The airframe and airscrews did not carry de-icing or anti-icing and the flight was 'therefore, in contravention of air regulations. Furthermore, the Rapide's radio had not been maintained in accordance with the approved schedule, though there was no evidence to show that it was not serviceable."
Registration cancelled 17.9.54 as "PWFU" ("Permanently Withdrawn From Use")
Sources:
1. Flight magazine September 24, 1954 page 502: https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%202731.html?search=G-AFMF
2. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh89.pdf
3. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/15-aeroplanes/80-register-gb-g-af
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide#Accidents_and_incidents
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A11.html
6. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1204433/
7. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFMF-1.pdf
8. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFMF-2.pdf
9. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh89a-dragon-rapide-simonburn
10. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 219/70: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C414842
11. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 219/71: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C414843
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2008 11:10 | ASN archive | Added |
| 14-Mar-2009 09:24 | anorak48 | Updated |
| 01-Jan-2012 13:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Jan-2012 13:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2018 15:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2018 15:07 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 24-Feb-2019 23:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Feb-2019 23:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Feb-2019 23:30 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Dec-2019 23:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source] |
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