ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 275838
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| Date: | Monday 19 May 1941 |
| Time: | 12:00 LT |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth |
| Owner/operator: | 26 EFTS RAF |
| Registration: | T5598 |
| MSN: | 83085 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near RAF Guinea Fowl, Gwelo, Midlands -
 Zimbabwe
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Guinea Fowl ALG, Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia |
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 83291 (Gipsy Major #83085); Taken on charge as T5598 at 4 MU RAF Cowley, Oxford 14.5.40 and shipped direct to Southern Rhodesia. To 26 EFTS RAF Guinea Fowl, Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia.
Written off when spun into the ground and crashed 2 miles South East of RAF Guinea Fowl, near Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia 19.5.41. Pilot - Leading Aircraftman Ronald Verdun HIBBS (Service Number 401123, Pilot Under Training, aged 23, Australian National) - killed. According to one published source (see link #6):
"On 19 May 1941, Tiger Moth T5598 flown solo by Leading Aircraftman Hibbs, a student pilot, took off from Guinea Fowl at 11:50 hours, detailed to carry out solo powered approaches until 12:50 hours. Pilot Officer Rankin, a Flying Instructor later stated: “The Student took off at 1150 hours and I had no further knowledge until I heard a crash which took place about 10 minutes later, about one mile from the drome in a south east direction. The crash apparently took place whilst the aircraft was still into wind after take-off”.
Eye witnesses saw the Tiger Moth in a right hand spin at about 300 feet height. It continued to spin until it reached a height of 30 feet from the ground. It appeared to stop spinning, then after a pause it started to spin to the left. It disappeared behind a haystack and then smoke rose from the spot. A Court of Inquiry into the accident concluded that the Pilot had lost control of the aircraft".
Struck off charge 19.5.41 as FACE (Flying Accident Cat.E).
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft T1000-V9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1997 p.44)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/6538: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16755835
3. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2617231/ronald-verdun-hibbs/
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p832.html
6. https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/hibbs-ronald-verdun-401123/
7. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/632073
8. http://www.militarian.com/threads/australian-deaths-in-the-raaf-raf-how-did-they-occur-zimbabwe.5511/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gweru
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Feb-2022 01:39 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 24-Feb-2022 10:25 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 24-Feb-2022 23:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Country] |
| 12-Apr-2022 07:29 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 13-Apr-2022 22:43 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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