Date:	Thursday 20 September 1928
Time:	day
Type:	Avro 504K
Owner/operator:	Henderson School of Flying, Brooklands
Registration:	G-EBFM
MSN:	H2070
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Brooklands Aerodrome, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Surrey -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Brooklands Aerodrome, Weybridge, Surrey
Destination airport:	Brooklands Aerodrome, Weybridge, Surrey
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro 548 G-EBFM: Ex-RAF H2070 (former RAF serial used by the Air Ministry in lieu of any official Avro c/n). First registered 10/4/1923 (C of R 951) to the Aircraft Disposal Co Ltd. Sold on and re-registered (C of R 1266) on 27/5/1926 to George Lockhart Piercy Handerson t/a the Henderson School of Flying, Mayfair, London W.1. Aircraft based at London (Croydon) Airport, and later at Brooklands.

Written off (destroyed) 20/9/1928 when stalled on turn and nose dived, Brooklands Aerodrome, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Surrey. Pilot - Miss Margaret Honor Wellby (aged 22) - was killed. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" (Brooklyn, New York) Thursday, September 20, 1928 Page 1 - see link #2)

"The victim of the fatal crash was Miss Honor Wellby of Weybridge. She was making her second solo flight from the Brooklands Flying School when her machine went into a spin at a low altitude. It crashed on a railroad track and she was dead when workmen extricated her from the wreck."

In addition, according to a contemporary report in "Flight" magazine (October 4, 1928 page 853 - see link #8):

"Henderson Flying School, Brooklands Aerodrome
We very much regret the exceedingly sad accident to Miss Honor Wellby, who, owing to a moment of inadvertence on about her 30th solo flight, took off with her tail down and had a flat turn to the left and stalled at a low altitude. The Air Ministry examination of the machine has proved it to be in perfect order, and it was flown by our Ground Engineer and Lieut.-Col. Henderson before the accident.

There seems to have been no question of engine failure. The machine had only been in service three weeks since complete overhaul for C. of A., and the engine had done 2 hrs. 30 mins. since top overhaul. We wish to tender our sincerest sympathy to the parents"

Registration G-EBFM cancelled by the Air Ministry 9/11/1928 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use of aircraft"

G-EBFM was listed by some sources as an "Avro 548", which was a standard Avro 504K, but fitted with a Renault, RAF 1A or Airdisco V8 engine and fuel tanks under each upper wing. Aircraft retained Wartime camouflage.

1. Daily Herald - Friday 21 September 1928 (Report of accident)
2. Sheffield Independent - Tuesday 25 September 1928 (Report of pilot's funeral)
3. The Scotsman - Monday 24 September 1928 (Inquest into death of pilot)
4. The Gazette (Montreal, Canada) Friday, September 21, 1928 Page 20: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/419597195/
5. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) Thursday, September 20, 1928 Page 1: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/59862552/
6. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1929.htm
7. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/15-aeroplanes/82-register-gb-g-eb
8. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EBFM.pdf
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E2.html
10. Photo of accident: http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/gallery/g-e-aeroplanes/g-ebfm-avro-548-crashed-weybridge-20-sep-1928-0751-0140-3850
11. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1928/1928%20-%200923.PDF

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jun-2018 19:54	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Mar-2020 23:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]