ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 207243
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| Date: | Thursday 16 December 1937 |
| Time: | 21:20 LT |
| Type: | Handley Page Heyford Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 102 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K5183 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Honington, Suffolk -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Honington, Suffolk |
| RAF Honington, Suffolk | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Handley Page Heyford Mk. III K5183, 102 Squadron, RAF Honington: Written off (destroyed) 14/12/37 when crashed on landing, at RAF Honington, Suffolk. Two of the five crew were killed:
Pilot Officer Thomas Arthur Bunting (aged 23) killed
Pilot Officer Basil Gaston Lancelot Betbeder (aged 21) died 18.12.37 (two days later) of injuries sustained
Acting Pilot Officer Laurence Herbert McFarlane injured (he was a New Zealander)
AC1 Ernest Marrows injured
AC1 Charles Albert Frederick Kettle unhurt
According to a contemporary newspaper report of the inquest into the deaths of two two crew that were killed ("Bury Free Press" Saturday 25 December 1937):
HONINGTON BOMBER CRASHES.
TWO KILLED IN DISASTROUS NIGHT LANDING.
Survivor's Graphic Inquest Story.
One of the survivors of the ill fated Heyford bomber which crashed into the landing ground at Honington Aerodrome on Thursday night, turned turtle, and caused the deaths of two of its pilot officer, related a graphic story of the incidents proceeding and following the tragedy to Humphrey Walrond (Deputy Coroner for the Liberty of Bury St. Edmonds) and a jury at the inquest at the inquest which was held at the aerodrome on Monday night.
"It was very dark at the time and difficult to see the ground" said the witness, who was Pilot-Officer Lawrence MacFarlane. "I was standing up in the back. All of a sudden the ground came up at terrific speed. I braced myself for the impact. It was terrific. At the same time my jaw struck the gun-ring, which knocked me out for the moment. The next thing I knew was that the machine was going over on to its back. I realised we had crashed. I fought my way out of the wreckage and rushed to the nose of the machine to extricate my friends.
CREW OF FIVE
The victims the crash were Pilot- Officer Thomas Arthur Bunting, a New Zealander, and Pilot-Officer Basil G. L. Betbeder, Surrey, both whom were in their early twenties and had been taking part in routine flight. Bunting was killed outright, and Betbeder died in the West Suffolk General Hospital on Saturday. Pilot-Officer MacFarlane and Aircraftsman (First Class) Ernest Marrows wore slightly injured, while a fifth member of the crew, Aircraftsman (First Class) C. A. F. Kettle escaped unhurt.
At the inquest, Mr. O. Ruddock was foreman of the jury. Wing-Commander Iles and Squadron-Leader Baker represented 102 Bomber Squadron (Honington), while Inspector Dunnett (Ixworth) watched the proceedings on behalf of the police.
Aircraftsman Kettle, an air-gunner under training, attached to the 102nd Squadron, told of how he was aboard the Heyford which left at 9.50 a.m., and appeared in perfect order on the journey. Returning at 9.20 p.m., they approached the landing from the North, made a partial circuit of the aerodrome, and, to the best of his knowledge, came down in series of steps. He did not think anything out of the ordinary happened before the machine hit the ground and turned over.
MACHINE BEHAVED PERFECTLY.
Pilot-Officer MacFarlane, giving his version, stated that up to the time of its arrival at Honington. the machine behaved perfectly. He explained that after they passed over Mildenhall he went to the rear cockpit of the machine to make room for Betbeder, who wanted to assist the pilot in locating the aerodrome, and they gradually lost height until they were below the clouds. In a little while they located the aerodrome, and the pilot, after asking permission to land, made a three-quarter circuit of the aerodrome and an “S” turn, then throttling back and proceeding to glide in to land.
The witness went on to give details quoted above, and after describing how he fought his way out of the wreckage and rushed to the nose of the machine, said it was difficult to see through the side of the fuselage. However, he saw Betbeder. who was groaning. With the assistance of some other men witness succeeded in pulling away the wreckage. Answering the Coroner, he said when aircraft were expected at night a flare-path was put out. On this occasion a flare-path was out and quite in order.
FLEW STRAIGHT INTO GROUND.
Pilot-Officer O. G. Horrigan, who was orderly officer at the time, described how he was standing outside the watch-house when he heard the plane approaching. The pilot gave the appropriate signal asking for permission to land, and then took up a proper position to do so. “The next thing I saw was the plane coming in to land with the engines not quite throttled back,” he went on, “and it soon became obvious that the aircraft was going to under-shoot. I expected the pilot to open out his engines in order to make more ground before landing, instead of which the aircraft maintained its angle of flight and flew straight into the ground about 100 yards before reaching the flare-path.”
Asked the reason for the under-shoot, the witness said it was probable that after flying for many hours the pilot had not allowed himself sufficient time in the lower altitude to enable him to adjust his judgment for landing. The fact that he did not circle the aerodrome completely would tend to make it more difficult for him to judge the distance.
Pilot-Sergt. W. C. McArthur, who was on duty as aerodrome control officer when the 'plane approached, said everything appeared to be all right until the bomber neared the ground, when there was no apparent attempt by the pilot to hold off. The machine struck the ground with terrific force and then turned straight over on its back.
NORMAL TYPE OF FLIGHT.
Squardon-Leader Parker, Commanding B Flight, to which the two dead pilots belonged, told the Coroner that the men were engaged in a normal type of flight, and had not been up in the air longer than they should have been. In this instance the pilot should have made a full circle of the aerodrome before landing. Witness thought the probable reason why he had not done so was that there were showers during the evening, and that, seeing another approaching, tried to get down before he ran into it.
Flight-Lieutenant Charles Briggs, Medical Officer at the Station. said Bunting's death was caused by fracture of the skull. He had other injuries as well.
Dr. I. T. Kinnear, house surgeon at the West Suffolk Hospital, said Betbeder died from shock, due to internal haemorrhage. An operation had been performed. The cause of the haemorrhage was found and stopped. After having been given two transfusions of blood Betbeder’s condition improved, but later became worse and he died.
The Jury returned verdicts “Death by misadventure.”
Pilot Officer Betbeder is buried in Horley New Churchyard. He was 21 years old.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 40)
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1937.htm
3. http://aircrewremembered.com/bunting-thomas.html
4. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12963.0;wap2
5. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1937/1937%20-%203566.PDF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Mar-2018 23:21 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 08-Mar-2018 23:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 14-Oct-2018 17:25 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 25-Jan-2021 16:04 | Richard | Updated [Narrative] |
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