Date:	Thursday 27 September 1923
Time:	day
Type:	Blackburn Pellet
Owner/operator:	Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co Ltd
Registration:	G-EBHF
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Solent Estuary, off Cowes, Isle of Wight -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Solent Estuary, off Cowes, Isle of Wight
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Blackburn Pellet G-EBHF was constructed specifically for the 1923 Schneider Trophy, the races for which were to be held at Cowes that year. It was designed by Major F.A.Bumpus and employed the hull of the company's N.1B flying boat fighter. It does not seem to have been a 'lucky' aircraft. When first launched, on the Humber, it capsized, throwing test pilot, R.W.Kenworthy, into the water.

It was no more 'lucky' when brought down to Cowes for the Schneider Trophy races. In the course of its seaworthiness trials, it encountered an errant boat and, in an endeavour to avoid a collision with it, Kenworthy pulled back the stick with the aim of leaving the water and flying over it. In that he succeeded only partially. The Pellet porpoised, avoiding the boat but diving into the water, on the other side of it, and promptly sank with Kenworthy still at the controls.

Presumably the Pellet inverted as it is recorded that Kenworthy was trapped in the hull. Fortunately the hull proved to be both water and air tight, so that Kenworthy was in an 'air lock', enabling him to breathe in sufficient air to dive out of and under the Pellet, before rising to the surface. Unsurprisingly, the Pellet did not compete in the races!.

The incident was described in a contemporary newspaper report ("Hull Daily Mail" - Thursday 27 September 1923)

THE SCHNEIDER CUP RACE.
MR R. W. KENWORTHY'S MACHINE CAPSIZES.
One of the British seaplanes, a Blackburn Napier, piloted by Mr. R. W. Kenworthy, capsized and sank at Cowes to-day while starting on a test for to-morrow's Schneider Cup Race. The seaplane had just taxied across the starting line, heading to westward, when, in turning off the Royal Yacht Squadron, it lost its balance and capsized. The pilot was picked up unhurt, but the seaplane sank.

The machine turned a complete somersault, throwing the pilot into the bottom of the cockpit. He emerged from the water feet first, and fainted when the rescuers arrived. Later the seaplane was recovered and towed ashore. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who went to the assistance of the pilot, said Mr Kenworthy miraculously escaped being drowned. He went under with the machine, and remained under over 30 seconds. He was in a very exhausted condition when picked up, and artificial respiration had to be applied."

Blackburn Pellet G-EBHF: first registered (C of R 1008) 23-7-23 to the Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co Ltd., Roundhay Road, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. Described on the aircraft registration form as a "Blackburn Racing Flying-Boat Single Seater". Registration cancelled 5-10-23 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawl from use of aircraft"

1. Hull Daily Mail - Thursday 27 September 1923
2. Leeds Mercury - Friday 28 September 1923
3. Jackson, A.J. (1968). Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0-370-00053-6.
4. "The Schneider Cup Seaplane Race". Flight Magazine October 1923. pp. 592–598.
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Pellet
6. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-EBHF.pdf
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15214.0
8. https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/blackburn-pellet
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E2.html

Blackburn Pellet G-EBHF on take off run just before its crash, 27 September 1923:The Pellet having a new Lamblin radiator fitted on the day of its accident:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Feb-2020 17:41	Dr. John Smith	Added
28-Feb-2020 17:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]