Incident Auster J/1 Autocrat G-AGYO,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 18156
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Friday 24 August 1951
Time:07:05 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic J1 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Auster J/1 Autocrat
Owner/operator:Airways Aero Association Ltd
Registration: G-AGYO
MSN: 2006
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:St. Clare Estate, Kemsing, near Sevenoaks -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Denham Aerodrome, Denham, Buckinghamshire
Destination airport:Amsterdam, Netherlands
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
First civil registered (C of R 9842/1) as G-AGYO on 4/2/46 to Taylorcraft Aeroplane (England) Ltd., Britannia Works, Thurmaston, Leicestershire (aircraft based at Rearsby, Leicestershire). Registration cancelled/lapsed 17/6/46 upon sale

Sold on and re-registered (C of R 9842/2) the same day (17/6/46) to Christie-Tyler Ltd., 55 Pall Mall, London SW.1. Registration cancelled/lapsed 15/7/47 upon sale

Sold on and re-registered (C of R 9842/3) on 9/8/47 to BEA (British European Airways) Flying Club, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire. Registration cancelled/lapsed 1/12/47 upon sale

Sold on and re-registered (C of R 9842/4) on 16/12/47 to BEA (British European Airways Corporation), Northolt Airport, Ruislip, Middlesex. Registration cancelled/lapsed 29/7/48 upon sale

Sold on and re-registered (with new C of R R2328/5) on 23/9/48 to Speedbird Flying Club Ltd., Piccadilly, London W.1
Name and address of owners changed with effect from 31/12/49 to Airways Aero Association, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex (strangely, with no re-registration imposed)

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed at St. Clare Estate, Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, Kent 24/8/51. both persons on board survived, but with injuries. According to a pair of contemporary newspaper reports:

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Friday 24 August 1951

HOLIDAYING AIR PILOT IN CRASH
MR. L. T. STEVENS, B.E.A. pilot on holiday, was flying a passenger. Mr. R. E. Duffett, to Amsterdam in an Auster monoplane from Denham, Bucks., when the machine crashed in dense fog in a copse on the St. Clare Estate, Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, just after 7 a.m. to-day.

Mr. W. Rix. a forester of the estate said he heard a terrific crash and at first thought a tree had fallen across the road. It was only the sound of undergrowth crackling under the feet of the passenger, who was staggering about, that guided him to the spot.

The plane was a wreck. The pilot was slumped head down in the cabin, and Mr. Rix succeeded in releasing him. The pilot and Mr. Duffett were taken to hospital, it is believed with serious head injuries."

Western Mail - Saturday 25 August 1951
TWO HURT
A single-engined twin-seater monoplane belonging to Airways Aero Club, Denham, crashed yesterday in a copse at Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, Kent. The pilot switched off the fuel supply before hitting the ground.

A B.E.A. spokesman said two men were injured, Mr. P.C. Stevens and Mr. R Duffett, both of B.E.A.'s traffic staff at Northolt, who were on leave.

Mr. Stevens was flying Mr. Duffett to Amsterdam. Both men were taken to Sevenoaks Hospital".

Registration G-AGYO cancelled 28/4/51 by the UK Civil Aviation Authority as "accident in Kent on 24/8/51"

Sources:

1. Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Friday 24 August 1951
2. Western Mail - Saturday 25 August 1951
3. History of British European Airways, 1946–1972 By Charles Woodley
4. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/345098-boac-sports-festival-heston-airport.html
5. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AGYO-1.pdf
6. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AGYO-2.pdf
7. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/beafleetlist.pdf
8. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/110028-1950-s-archive-part-3-hatfield-races-1951
9. http://austerhg.org/prod_list/pages.php?page=1889

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-May-2008 11:10 ASN archive Added
10-Jun-2012 16:11 Dr. John Smith Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
26-Mar-2020 19:24 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
26-Jul-2020 22:22 Dr. John Smith Updated [Source]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org