ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 283729
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 12 October 1934 |
| Time: | 17:30 |
| Type: | Percival D.2 Gull Four IIA |
| Owner/operator: | Sir John D. Kirwan |
| Registration: | G-ACGR |
| MSN: | D.29 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Escaut River near Kerhove, West Flanders -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
MSN D.29: Built at Yate by George Parnall & Co as type D.2 Gull Four II (Javelin III). The following detailed history of ‘G-ACGR’ is from the BAMRS (Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society) website, which also has full details and photos from the aircraft’s restoration:-
“G-ACGR was originally ordered by Sir Philip Sassoon, at the time Under-Secretary of State for Air of the United Kingdom. Sir Philip had selected a Napier "Javelin III" engine, air-cooled 6 cylinders in line, delivering a power of 160 bhp at 2.100 rpm and pulling the "Gull" to a maximum speed of 160 mph.
The interior furnishing of that particular aircraft was indeed fitting to its illustrious owner. Sir Philip had called for a 2 seater arrangement instead of the standard 3 seater and the gain of space allowed the installation of a comfortable club armchair. The pilot seat, the passenger's armchair and the side panels were covered with deep red leather, embossed with the trademark of Percival aircraft, a silhouette of a gull.
It competed in a number races in the colours of Sassoon: the King's Cup air race of 1933, at Hatfield, with Flying Officer G.R.A. Elsmie as pilot (racing number 17) and at the end of August 1933 in the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race (racing number 8) flew by Flight Lt S. Hawtrey.
On 8 May 1934, G-ACGR's ownership was passed to Sir John Kirwan via Aircraft Exchange and Mart Ltd. of London. In the hands of Sir Kirwin, G-ACGR participated in the 1934 King's Cup (racing number 26, Pilot-Officer J.D. Kirwan) and in the London to Newcastle-upon-Tyne race.
On 12 October 1934, G-ACCR took-off for its last trip. Over Belgium, around 17.30 hours, near the village of Kerkhove the engine lost some power and the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing. It overshot on the attempted emergency landing and finished with its nose in a tributary of the Escaut river.
The day after, the aircraft was retrieved and left by road to England, via Ostend. What happened next remains a mystery to this day. On 7 December 1934, G-ACGR was written off the official British register.
Since the damaged airframe was found in Belgium, it can be assumed the owners or the insurers elected not to ship it back to England, only recovering the engine, propeller and instruments. The airframe must have been disposed off in some way, either selling it or giving it away to some interested party. In any case the "Gull' disappeared for more than 35 years until 1973 when Mr. E. De Deurwaerder retrieved the aircraft wreck that was stored in a barn near Nieuport.
The "Gull" remains arrived in the museum in 1975 after being donated by Mr E. de Deurwaerder.”
The accident location of Kerkhove is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and a borough of Avelgem. Kerkhove is located in the east of the municipality, along the River Scheldt (River Escaut) in the extreme southeast of the province, against the border with East Flanders.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1991.pdf
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ACGR.pdf
3. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-gb-registers-g-ac
4. https://www.airteamimages.com/percival-gull_G-ACGR_-private_171812_large.html
5. https://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-kings-cup-1934?filter_tag[0]=13
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheldt
7. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerkhove
Media:
G-AGCR On display at the Musee Royal de l'Armee et d'Histoire Militaire (usually known as the Brussels Air Museum), Brussels, Belgium 26th June 2016Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Sep-2022 21:42 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 07-Nov-2022 07:56 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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