Date:	Wednesday 23 July 1952
Time:	22:25
Type:	Handley Page HP.81 Hermes IVA
Owner/operator:	Airwork
Registration:	G-ALDB
MSN:	HP.81/3
Year of manufacture:	1949
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 70
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Pithiviers Airport -   France
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Blackbushe Airport (BBS/EGLK)
Destination airport:	Pithiviers Airfield (LFFP)

Narrative:
The Hermes was being used to transport troops from Blackbushe to the Fayid RAF Station, Egypt when it crash-landed in France.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The defect in No.4 engine was not due to fracture of (the) reduction gear pinion or failure of (the) oil pump drive. The evidence suggests that internal engine failure occurred, causing over-speeding and subsequent disintegration of the reduction gear pinion bearing."

Air Pictorial Oct. 1965, p.371
B. Dawson (E-mail 21-4-2007)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates