ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 138083
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| Date: | Monday 6 June 1927 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Blackburn Bluebird |
| Owner/operator: | Sqn/Ldr Walter Hunt Longton |
| Registration: | G-EBKD |
| MSN: | 9803/1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Ensbury Park Racecourse, Bournemouth, Dorset -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bouremouth/Hurn Airfield (EGHH) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
First registered as G-EBKD on 27.9.24 to Robert Blackburn, and normally based at Brough, East Yorkshire. Destroyed 6.6.27 in a Mid-air collision between Westland Widgeon III G-EBPW (piloted by Laurence Openshaw) and Sqn Ldr Walter Longton's Blackburn Bluebird G-EBKD. Both aircraft crashed at Ensbury Park Racecourse, Bournemouth, Dorset, killing both pilots.
The pilot of Bluebird G-EBKD was Squadron Leader Walter Hunt Longton DFC AFC (aged 34). He was buried under a headstone supplied by his wife, in Upavon cemetery, Wiltshire. According to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (June 9, 1927 page 374 - see link #8)
"It was during this that disaster, swift and complete, overtook two of the pilots. From the aerodrome those who happened at the time to be looking towards one of the field turning points, suddenly saw a machine tilt over, dive and disappear behind the trees. That a collision had occurred was evident, but the distance was too great to make out the identity of the machines involved.
Nor was it possible to ascertain this by noting the machines that completed the race, since several competitors, upon seeing the accident, circled around the spot, some landing and others coming back to report. One pilot, on returning to the aerodrome, expressed the opinion that the two machines were the "Bluebird " and the "Widgeon" and after a short wait, during which ambulances were rushed to the spot, this was confirmed.
How the accident happened will probably never be definitely ascertained. Several daily papers reported the story of eye-witnesses that the biplane flew into the monoplane. Although naturally impossible to say, this does not appear at all likely. Longton, in the "Bluebird" was much slower than Openshaw in the "Widgeon" and when these two machines passed the aerodrome turning point at the end of the second lap, the following machines were between them: Moth PU, "Avian " QL, "Avian " ON (which landed immediately afterwards), "Genet-Moth " OU, and "Moth" NO.
Thus, Openshaw would have to overtake these before getting to Longton, or at any rate such of them as had not, themselves, overtaken the " Bluebird. Those who saw the earlier stages of the race will realise how very little it would take to cause a collision. A very slight swerve, or dive, or climb, and disaster was threatening. The fire, which broke out immediately the machines struck, devoured everything of a combustible nature, and so presumably it will not be possible to deduct anything of value from an examination of the wreckage.
In Longton and Openshaw we have lost not only two excellent pilots but also two extremely popular friends, and to their wives, who were both on the aerodrome when the accident occurred, everyone will extend the most heartfelt sympathy in their bereavement. Mrs. Openshaw, who is a daughter of Mr. R. A. Briuce of Westlands, had only been married a few weeks"
Registration G-EBKD cancelled 14.6.27 as "permanently withdrawn from use"
Sources:
1. Western Morning News - Tuesday 07 June 1927
2. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/15-aeroplanes/82-register-gb-g-eb
3. http://dorset.hampshireairfields.co.uk/dorcrash.html
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EBKD.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E3.html
6. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1929.htm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_H._Longton
8. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60770812/walter-longton
9. Flight magazine of 9 June 1927: https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1927/1927%20-%200412.html
10. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 18/1567: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4076460
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Aug-2011 07:07 | harro | Added |
| 13-Dec-2013 01:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2018 18:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2018 18:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2018 18:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2018 18:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 28-Feb-2020 00:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 08-Mar-2020 17:40 | DG333 | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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