ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221145
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| Date: | Friday 23 March 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Sopwith 1½ Strutter |
| Owner/operator: | CFS RFC |
| Registration: | A1089 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1 mile from RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire |
| RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
23.3.17: Sopwith 1½ Strutter A1089, Central Flying School, Royal Flying Corps, RFC Upavon. Written off (destroyed) in a Midair collision with Sopwith 1½ Strutter A6105, RFC Upavon, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Pilot of A1089 - Lt Alfred Pocock Long (aged 29 on attachment from 7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment) - was killed. 2nd Lt Philip Sellers (aged 19) in Sopwith 1½ Strutter A6105 was also killed.
According to the aircraft accident record card for Sopwith 1½ Strutter A1089:
"Court of Inquiry 87/7954
30/3/17
Flying accident collision in mid air with 2nd Lt P. Sellers while practicing dogfighting. The Court of Inquiry was of the opinion that the accident was caused by the tail of the Sopwith being struck by behind by the propeller and centre section of the other machine, owing to an error of judgement on the part of the pilot of the latter machine".
Note that the accident report implies - but does not explicitly state - that Sopwith 1½ Strutter A1089 was hit by A6105, and that the pilot of A6105 (2nd Lt Sellers) was the pilot "at fault", in that 2nd Lt Sellers dived on Lt Pocock's machine, but failed to pull away from his dive in time.
According to one published source ("The Malvern News" 7 April 1917, see link #5):
"2nd Lieut Phillip Sellars, attached to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was accidentally killed whilst practising aerial flying in Wiltshire in March 1917. Lieut Alfred Pocock Long, Middlesex Regt attached RFC was flying up and down about a mile from the aerodrome and Lt Sellars was to mount above him and dive towards him as an attack. In this operation one of the machines apparently struck the other’s tail. Both of were killed. The cause of death was given as accidental. Lieutenant Sellars, age 19, was the son of Mrs A M Sellars of Tremere, St Andrews Road."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/405550/long,-alfred-pocock/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/long-a.p.-alfred-pocock
4. http://www.wiltshire-opc.org.uk/Items/Bremhill/Bremhill%20-%20Pococks,%20Longs%20and%20Collets%20of%20East%20Tytherton%20-%20Part%204.pdf
5. http://www.malvernremembers.org.uk/ww1-profiles/phillip-sellars
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jan-2019 15:06 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 27-Jan-2019 05:32 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 27-Jan-2019 13:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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