Date:	Thursday 2 April 1931
Time:	16:50 LT
Type:	Avro 594 Avian III
Owner/operator:	Charles Maurice Brown
Registration:	G-EBZD
MSN:	R3/CN/161
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Park Hill Road, Carshalton, near Wallington, Surrey -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Croydon Airport, Croydon, Surrey (EGCR)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
c/no R3/CN/161 Avro 594 Avian IIIA [Armstrong Siddeley Genet II engine]. Registered as G-EBZD [C of R 1676] 6.28 to Airways Publications Ltd. C of A 1507 issued 17.7.28. Entered in Kings Cup Air Race July 1928 by W Newton and flown by Flying Officer Gerald Boyes. Sold 30.11.29 and re-registered [C of R 2359] 23.12.29 to Charles Maurice Brown, Croydon, Surrey. C of A renewed 9.1.30.

Written off when crashed at Park Hill Road, Carshalton, near Wallington, Surrey 2.4.31, killing owner/pilot Charles Maurice Brown, and passenger, Flying Officer Ernest Frederick Smith (RAFO, aged 36) killed. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Western Daily Press" - Saturday 4 April 1931)

"PLANE'S PLUNGE TOWARD HOUSES
DRAMATIC CRASH IN THICKLY POPULATED AREA.
Two Airmen Perish in Dive During Loop.
JUST MISSED CHURCH.
Spectators' Fear as 'Plane Rushed Down.

An aeroplane crashed in a thickly populated part of Carshalton, near Croydon, on Thursday, killing its two occupants. The machine dived at terrific speed from a height of 500 feet, narrowly missed a church and some houses, and buried its nose in some trees. It is remarkable that no one other than the occupants of the machine was injured.

The occupants of the 'plane were Captain Frederick Ernest Smith (37), of Mount Park Avenue. Purley, an experienced and skilful civil pilot, and Mr Charles Maurice Brown, of Coombe Lodge, Addington Hill, Croydon. Mr Brown was the owner of the machine.

The 'plane was fitted with dual control, and it is not certain which of the two men was in charge of the machine when it crashed. The 'plane set off for a local flight at 4.30 p.m., and crashed 20 minutes later. It went into an upward loop, failed to recover and after narrowly missing a church and several houses crashed into Park Hill Road, Carshalton, at a point where it is joined by Hall Road. St Patrick's Church stands at the corner.

The 'plane nose-dived into a group of trees between the church and a house. People from the houses and the nearest hangar immediately rushed to the wrecked 'plane and dragged out the two men, but both were beyond assistance. The nose of the machine was buried in the trees, and wings and fuselage spread fan wise among the branches.

SWOOPING TOWARDS HER HOUSE.
The machine came down in a thickly populated part of Carshalton, and it is remarkable that no one other than the occupants of the 'plane was hurt. Within an hour of the accident the debris of the wrecked 'plane was removed. Mrs R. Stemenson, who lives in Park Hill Road, was certain that the machine was going to crash into her house.

"I was looking out of the window," she said, "and watched the 'plane go into a loop. Then suddenly it swooped downwards, and I caught my breath as it plunged towards our houses. It caught in the branches of the tree next door."

A mechanic employed by the Henderson Aviation Bureau, saw the accident while he was preparing another machine for a flight. "It looked," he said, "as if the pilot had failed to recover from a nose-dive. A second later there was a terrific crash, and a series of rending noises. I knew it must be all up for the men in the machine because she crashed downwards at a terrible speed. The amazing thing is that the machine did not burst into flames."

Maj. Cooper, Air Ministry Inspector of Accidents, was called to the scene of the crash and after making a preliminary inspection on the spot, the crashed aircraft was removed to a special hangar, where he continued his investigations until nearly 3 a.m.

1. Dundee Evening Telegraph 3 April 1931
2. Western Daily Press - Saturday 4 April 1931
3. Belfast Telegraph - Friday 23 October 1931
4. Flight magazine, 10 April 1931, under 'Croydon Weekly Notes'
5. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/13/C188: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6576656
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E4.html
8. http://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/Apr31.html
10. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EBZD.pdf
11. https://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-great-bitain-registers-g-eb
12. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/avian.pdf
13. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-594-avian-iii-carshalton-1-killed
14. Surrey Flying Services: http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/business-pleasure/joyriding-companies
15. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14962.0
16. http://www.airportofcroydon.com/Surrey.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jan-2014 09:51	Dr. John Smith	Added
19-Apr-2018 15:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
27-Feb-2020 17:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
27-Feb-2020 17:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
23-Jul-2020 17:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]