ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219785
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| Date: | Monday 17 July 1916 |
| Time: | evening |
| Type: | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Aircraft Factory |
| Registration: | 7598 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire |
| Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
17.7.16: Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 No. 7598, Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough. Written off (destroyed) when Side slipped and nose dived on test flight, Farnborough Airfield, Farnborough, Hampshire. Pilot - 2nd Lt William Boyle-Power (aged 29) - was killed. There had been a number of spinning accidents with the early F.E.8s the cause and solution not fully understood until August 1916. Possibly the accident was one of these.
William Boyle-Power was born in Plymouth on 15 December 1888 and lived at Wyche Cottage in Albert Street, Droitwich at the start of the war in 1914. Earned Royal Aero Club Aviator's certificate No 838 on 1 July 1914 as Airman 1st Class at Central Flying School Upavon in a Maurice Farman shorthorn.
Served overseas in Egypt as Corporal from 19 November 1914 earning 1914/15 Star. Sgt Major Instructor from January 1916 at the Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough. Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant 30 May 1916.
He worked as a test pilot for a week after coming home from leave, William was killed on July 17th 1916 in a flying accident when his plane nose-dived into Farnborough Common near Aldershot in Hampshire. He was 29. His father who was a councillor in Droitwich died in February the following year.
According to a report in "Flight" magazine (July 20 1916 page 603):
"Fatal Accidents
A FATAL accident occurred at Farnborough on Monday evening. A machine piloted by Sec. Lieut. W. B. Power, R.F.C, was seen to side-slip, and nose-dive to the ground, the pilot being instantly killed."
According to a hand-written note on the aircraft record for F.E.8 No. 7598
"Court of Inquiry: Accidentally killed while testing machine in the course of his duty. No fault of his own"
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/359592/power,-william-boyle/
3. http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/power-w.b.-william-boyle
4. http://www.dodderhillhistory.org.uk/LinkClick7aa7.pdf?fileticket=4ZSYID2rst8%3D&tabid=177&mid=1082
5. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/166345-are-there-any-details-of-this-flying-accident/
6. Flight magazine (July 20 1916 page 603): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1916/1916%20-%200603.html?search=William%20Boyle-Power
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Dec-2018 20:20 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 20-Dec-2018 20:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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