ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221512
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 4 May 1917 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 |
| Owner/operator: | 37 (Reserve) Sqn RFC |
| Registration: | A3497 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RFC Scampton, Lincolnshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RFC Scampton, Lincolnshire |
| RFC Scampton, Lincolnshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
4.5.17: Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 A3497, 37 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Scampton. Written off (destroyed) when spun out of control off turn, RFC Scampton. Lincolnshire. Spinning nose dive, error of judgment on part of pilot. Pilot - 2nd Lt Richard George Turner (Australian, aged 23, formerly (Cpl. 106) Australian Army Ordnance Corps) - was killed. According to the aircraft accident record card for R.E.8 A3497:
"Court of Inquiry 87/7954
17/5/17
Flying accident. Spinning nose dive, error of judgment on part of pilot. Machine was OK when taken up. It was the opinion of the Court of Inquiry that the accident was due to en error of judgment on the part of the pilot, causing the machine to enter into a spinning nose dive"
According to a published biography of the pilot (see link #4)
"Richard George Turner was born on 30 January 1894 at Jamestown in South Australia, and educated at Jamestown High School. He worked at the Union Bank before enlisting at Sydney in NSW as a Private in the 2nd Infantry Battalion on 17 August 1914, embarking at age 20 in HMAT A23 Suffolk on 18 October to land in Egypt on 8 December. He sailed from Alexandria in HMT Derfflinger on 5 April 1915 to take part in the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April, and the next day was wounded in the right leg and evacuated to No.17 Army General Hospital Alexandria in Hospital Ship Ionian.
Discharged to duty from Convalescent Camp Mustapha, Turner rejoined his unit at Gallipoli on 18 May 1915 and after the evacuation returned to Alexandria in HMT Huntsgreen on 28 December. He sailed from Alexandria on 22 March 1916 to serve in France, where he was transferred from 2nd Battalion to 1st Australian Division Army Ordnance Corps on 18 April and promoted to Corporal.
Turner was attached to 1st Australian Division HQ on 6 September 1916, and after volunteering to join the Royal Flying Corps, was posted to England to begin training at RFC Cadet Battalion, Denham on 16 November. This was followed by a course at No.3 SMA Brasenose College Oxford from 26 January 1917, on completion of which he was discharged from the Australian Infantry Force on 16 March 1917 and commissioned asa 2nd Lt in the RFC on probation the next day.
Turner received flying instruction at 47 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Waddington and at No.37 (Reserve) Squadron, RFC Scampton, and it was at this latter station that he was accidentally killed on 4 May 1917 at the age of 23 when he crashed in RE8 A3497 of No.37 (Reserve) Squadron. He had completed 22 hrs and 40 mins of solo flying time. The Court of Inquiry found that the accident was due to a lack of judgement by the pilot which caused the machine to go into a spinning nose dive on a turn."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1917.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2757942/turner,-/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/turner-r.g.-richard-george
4. http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SAAM-Profiles-SA-WW1-AIRMEN-OMITTED-FROM-WAR-MEMORIAL-Copy.pdf
5. http://connectingspirits.com.au/pages/soldiers/2010-soldiers/george-turner.php
6. http://www.bcar.org.uk/world-war-one-incident-logs#1917
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Feb-2019 19:39 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 06-Feb-2019 16:24 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 20-Jul-2023 09:04 | Nepa | Updated [[Operator]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation