ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 2123
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| Date: | Thursday 27 October 1932 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Hawker Audax Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 4 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K2007 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near Farnborough, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Farnborough, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Hawker Audax I K2007, 4 Sqn, RAF Farnborough: Written off (destroyed) 27/10/32 when dived into the ground after midair collision with Hawker Audax I K2000 in loop, near Farnborough, Hampshire. Both crew of Audax K2007 were killed:
Flying Officer Neville Herbert Thompson (aged 29 and also a Lt, in the Sherwood Foresters)
LAC Henry George Harvey (aged 23) killed
Flight Lt William Hawkesley Burbury unhurt in Hawker Audax I K2000. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Western Morning News" - Friday 28 October 1932):
3,000-FEET DIVE TO DEATH.
'PLANE COLLISION AT FARNBOROUGH.
TAIL SMASHED WHILE LOOPING.
BY OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT.
FARNBOROUGH, Thursday.
A TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY miles an hour dive to death from a height of 3,000 ft. was seen at Farnborough Aerodrome this afternoon. Flying Officer Neville Herbert Thompson, of Stockport, and Leading-Aircraftman Henry George Harvey were killed as the result of a collision in mid-air with a 'plane piloted by Flight-Lieut. Burbury. There were three machines in the flight, and they were attempting a loop when the propeller of Flight-Lieut. Burbury's machine smashed the tail of Thompson's 'plane, causing it to drop like a stone. With his propeller smashed, Flight-Lieut. Burbury made a perfect landing, and ran across the ground to ascertain the fate of the other airmen, only to find them dead.
Both Flying Officer Thompson and Leading Aircraftman Harvey had been stationed at Farnborough for some time. They were stationed with the No. 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron. Eye-witnesses of the crash stated that apparently no attempt was made by the men to escape from their 'plane by parachutes. The machine, it was stated, took only seven seconds to dive to the ground, the heavy metal parts being buried in the earth to a depth of 6 feet.
Flight-Lieut. Burbury was accompanied by a mechanic at the time of the collision. After the crash Burbury took up a light aeroplane, in accordance with service conditions."
In addition, the Aeroplane of 9/11/32 reported as follows:
“An Inquest was held on November 2 on the bodies of Flying Officer N.H. Thompson and LAC G.H. Harvey who were killed in a collision at Farnborough on October 27. Flight Lieutenant G.H. Stainforth said that the two machines were looping and as they went over the top of the loop the rear machine crossed in front of the leader. There was no apparent impact, but he saw a shower of fragments leaving the machine. The leader completed the loop and the other machine continued in a straight line for three or four seconds upside down, gradually went into a dive and then crashed at a steep angle. The machines were flying at about 3,000 feet. Flight Lieutenant W.H. Burbury said that he was in charge of a flight of three machines at the time. Over the aerodrome he gave the signal to break up the formation.
The witness pulled over into a loop and was regaining flying speed when he saw Thompson’s machine only two yards below him and directly in front of him. He tried to avoid striking it but had not sufficient flying speed to have any real control and his airscrew struck the rudder and elevator of the other machine. He did not know why Thompson should not have seen his signal. A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded and the Coroner said that Flight Lieutenant Burbury was in no way to blame for the accident.”
Sources:
1. Air-Britain The K File The RAF of the 1930s
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
3. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6417.0
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17601-RAF-fatalities-1932
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Feb-2008 13:37 | JINX | Added |
| 26-Jun-2013 19:34 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
| 14-Jul-2013 03:10 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
| 06-Jun-2015 15:36 | Fort Knox | Updated [Operator] |
| 07-Mar-2018 16:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Mar-2018 16:42 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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