Date:	Tuesday 11 October 1960
Time:	day
Type:	Airspeed Oxford 2
Owner/operator:	Overseas Aviation Ltd
Registration:	G-AHGU
MSN:	3277
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Fairoaks Airport, Chertsey Road, Chobham, Woking, Surrey -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Jersey Airport, Jersey, Channel Islands (JER/EGJJ)
Destination airport:	Fairoaks Airport, Chobham, Surrey (EGTF)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Oxford c/n 3277 ex-RAF V3815: Registered (C of R 10043) 3.4.46 as G-AHGUI to The Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd, Filton [and initially mispainted as "G-AGHU"]. C of A 7647 issued 9.5.46. New C of R No.R2365 issued 1950. Cancelled 1.1.56 and registered 21.2.56 to Bristol Aircraft Ltd, Filton. Cancelled 9.7.56 and re-registered 12.7.56 to Air Couriers (Transport) Ltd, Croydon. Cancelled 25.8.58 and registered 29.8.58 to Film Aviation Services Ltd, Gatwick

G-AHGU then became something of a film star. It started its film career as one of three Oxfords that passed for Japanese aircraft attacking the Chinese town of Tsiensin in the film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (1958). Then, it appeared in the film 'Operation Bullshine', in which it pretended to be a German aircraft, marked V4+DT, between December 1958 and January 1959. Almost immediately thereafter it changed allegiance, to serve as an RAF aircraft in a supporting role to Brigitte Bardot in the film 'Babette goes to War' between February and March 1959.

The following year it was sold on to Overseas Aviation Ltd. On 11.10.60 G-AHGU was flying from Jersey to Fairoaks. On its approach to Fairoaks the pilot was told that the western part of the airfield was waterlogged (at that time Fairoaks was a grass field) and so decided to land close to the eastern boundary of the airfield but, unfortunately, where it chose to touch down was only slightly less waterlogged than the western part. The result was that the starboard undercarriage wheel sunk into the soft ground and the leg promptly collapsed! Fortunately the pilot and his two passengers were uninjured and whilst it is recorded that the Oxford was damaged beyond repair, the reality was that, as a type, the Oxford was reaching the end of its useful life, and it in all probability it simply was not economic to repair G-AHGU.

However you'll be pleased to hear that, like the "old trouper" G-AHGU was, it finished its career on screen. In the film, "Crosstrap", it was the 'stand in' for Consul G-AJLR when it came to depicting the destruction of the aircraft featured. Note that some discussion on the Key Aero ("Flypast") website indicates that the film involved was EITHER "Crosstrap" or "Breaking Point" (both films were made in 1961, and released in 1962).

Registration G-AHGU cancelled by the CAA on 15.10.60 as "P/W/F/U" ("Permanently Withdrawn From Use")

1. Survey of accidents to aircraft in the United Kingdom 1960 / CAA
2. The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain,2001 pp101 & 262
3. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-airspeed-as10-oxford-ii-fairoaks
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHGU-1.pdf
5. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AHGU-2.pdf
6. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14065.0
7. Photo of G-AHGU burning: https://www.key.aero/comment/1992017#comment-1992017
8. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/147857-film-breaking-point-1961-it-s-airspeed-oxford
9. http://www.airportofcroydon.com/Aircraft%202.html

(c) Jerry Hughes, July 1960 at Biggin Hill (BQH / EGKB)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
01-Jul-2009 23:31	VHKDK	Updated
08-Dec-2011 12:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
05-Nov-2014 10:16	harro	Updated [Narrative, Photo, ]
28-May-2015 09:08	harro	Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
22-Mar-2017 19:55	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Mar-2019 14:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source]
24-Feb-2020 19:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Feb-2020 19:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
24-Feb-2020 19:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]