ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221152
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| Date: | Monday 26 March 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Nestler Scout |
| Owner/operator: | F.C.Nestler Ltd |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hendon Aerodrome, Hendon, Middlesex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Hendon Aerodrome, Hendon, Middlesex |
| Hendon Aerodrome, Hendon, Middlesex | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
26.3.17: Nestler Scout, F C Nestler Ltd. Written off (destroyed) when broke up in flight, Hendon Aerodrome, Hendon, Middlesex. Pilot - John Bernard Fitzsimons (aged 20) - was killed. According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (April 5, 1917 page 292 - see link #6):
"Fatal Accidents
An inquest was held at Hendon on March 28th on Mr. J. B. Fitzsimmons, who was killed on March 26th through one of the wings of his machine breaking when at a great height. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned."
John Bernard Fitzsimmons was a pupil of Dover County School. On leaving he became a clerk with the Ports Authority but was also a member of the 12th London Regiment. He spent a year in France and was commissioned from private. At what point he transferred to the RFC is unclear but he had been interested in aviation before the war being a leading light in the Dover Model Flying Club. Strangely his school magazine says he learnt to fly after being invalided out of the army. (There are a number of discrepancies between the grave stone and other accounts - including the spelling of his name!).
He was killed when the wings on his aircraft failed at 400 feet as he pulled out of a sharp turn part of one breaking away, the aircraft crashed through the roof of some airfield sheds. The Nestler scout had a very strong and rigid front spar and a very light and flexible rear one - a combination since fingered as a cause of flutter and similar problems. So he was a civilian at death but the death was definitely war related.
Nestler Ltd became established in the British aircraft industry before First World War by obtaining an agency for Sanchez-Besa aircraft. They were Subcontractors for components in the war. The company built one example of the Monosoupape Gnome-powered Nestler Scout to the design of Monsieur Boudot. It was destroyed at Hendon in 1917 as per the above, and no further aircraft were constructed.
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. http://www.aviastar.org/manufacturers/1545.html
3. http://www.angelfire.com/yt2/glennsaircraft/nestlerscout.html
4. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/71784-killed-testing-a-new-aeroplane-26317/
5. Flight magazine (March 22, 1917 page 285): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200285.html?search=Fitzsimons
6. Flight magazine (April 5, 1917 page 292): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200292.html?search=fitzsimmons
7. http://www.doverwarmemorialproject.org.uk/Casualties/Civilians/WW1/SurnamesAtoM.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jan-2019 19:42 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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