Date:	Monday 31 May 1971
Time:	18:00 LT
Type:	Owl Racer OR65-2
Owner/operator:	Farm Aviation Ltd
Registration:	G-AYMS
MSN:	PFA1519/OR65-2-1
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Greenwich Reach, River Thames, London -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	North Weald, Essex (EGSX)
Destination airport:	Redhill Aerodrome, Redhill, Surrey (EGKR)
Investigating agency:	AIB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
Owl Racer OR65-2 G-AYMS was first registered on 19 November 1970 (C of R R.11097/1) to Farm Aviation Ltd., Rush Green, Langley, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and named "Ricochet".

Destroyed on 31 May 1971 when it crashed into the River Thames at Greenwich Reach, London. The aircraft was flying south from North Weald (Essex) to Redhill (Surrey) when a prop blade separated and took the engine with it. The pilot was killed. According to the summary from the official AAIB report:

"A section of one blade of the propeller broke off when the aircraft was crossing the River Thames at approximately 1,500 feet. The severe out of balance forces which resulted tore the engine from the fuselage and this in turn made the aircraft difficult for the pilot to control. He attempted to make a forced landing in the river but the aircraft struck the water with considerable force and the pilot received fatal injuries.

The fracture of the propeller blade was associated in varying degrees with overload, fatigue and corrosion ."

The AAIB final report names the sole fatality as the pilot (the sole person on board) Mr. P.T.Gent-Eggett, aged 32. The only part of the wreckage not salvaged was the 12 inches of propeller, which was not found. Registration G-AYMS cancelled by the CAA as aircraft "destroyed" 7 September 1971

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f9e9ed915d1371000785/5-1974_G-AYMS.pdf
2. CAA Registration: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AYMS.pdf
3. http://www.laa-archive.org.uk/results.php?q=G-AYMS&fields=reg
4. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/78868-aircraft-lost-in-the-thames-estuary
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) Files AVIA 101/727 to AVIA 101/732 (10 Files): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10904581 to https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8135979
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File DR11/247: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1201144
7. National Archives (PRO Kew) File DR16/242: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1200807
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl_Racer_OR65-2
9. https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/415670-owl-racer-65-2-g-ayms-pictures-wanted.html

Owl OR65-2 Racer aircraft G-AYMS named Ricochet built by Farm Aviation at Rush Green UK on 22 May 1971:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:10	ASN archive	Added
10-May-2012 23:23	ryan	Updated [Source, Narrative]
29-Aug-2012 15:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Jun-2013 03:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
03-Aug-2015 01:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
02-Oct-2020 19:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report]
02-Oct-2020 19:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, Accident report]
02-Oct-2020 19:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source, Narrative, Accident report]