ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 202777
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| Date: | Sunday 30 April 1933 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Avro 504K |
| Owner/operator: | Devonshire Aviation Tours Ltd |
| Registration: | G-ABZC |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Chard, Somerset -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Exeter Airport, Exeter, Devon |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
G-ABZC is presumed to be an ex-RAF Avro 504K (possibly in the "J" serial range), and was first registered on 30.8.32. However, the aircraft's records before 7.4.33 are missing.
First recorded as registered (C of R 4320) on 7.4.33 as G-ABZC to Devonshire Aviation Tours Ltd., Exeter, Devon. The company had two Avro 504K aircraft (the other was G-AAYM) which were used for "joyriding" (air flight experience) and on demand air taxi work.
Written off (damaged beyond repair) 30.4.33: crashed in forced landing after running out of fuel, Chard, Somerset. Of the three persons on board, one - Gerald Banfield (passenger, aged 23) - was killed. Both of the other two - James Henry Hickling (pilot) and Charles Guppy (passenger) - were injured.
According to the following contemporary report from "Flight" magazine (November 23, 1933 page 1169 - see link #7)
"Investigation of a civil air accident
THE INSPECTOR OF ACCIDENTS, Air Ministry, duly investigated an accident to an Avro 504K aircraft, which crashed at Chard, Somerset, on April 30, 1933. The aeroplane was being employed for the purpose of giving pleasure trips and had made a considerable number of flights that day. Very shortly after the start of the last flight - when the aircraft was little more than 100 feet from the ground - the engine suddenly ceased to function.
The pilot thereupon attempted to turn back to the only large field within reach, but in avoiding a line of telegraph
wires he accidentally stalled the aeroplane. The machine crashed to the ground and one of the two passengers received fatal injuries. As a result of his investigations, the Inspector of Accidents came to the conclusion that the engine failed through shortage of petrol in the main tank (the machine had not been re-fuelled since the commencement of flying that day) and that, for this, the pilot was alone to blame, he having failed in his duty to exercise reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of his aircraft in flight. The Secretary of State for Air suspended the pilot's licence for twelve months."
Registration G-ABZC cancelled by the Air Ministry 2.12.34 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use of aircraft"
Sources:
1. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/component/content/article/15-aeroplanes/76-register-gb-g-ab
2. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ABZC.pdf
3. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6576706
4. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
5. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/business-pleasure/joyriding-companies
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-A4.htmll
7. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1933/1933%20-%201045.PDF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Dec-2017 19:24 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-Dec-2017 19:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 13-May-2018 18:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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