Date:	Sunday 4 September 1938
Time:
Type:	Hawker Audax Mk I
Owner/operator:	1 E&RFTS RAF
Registration:	K7381
MSN:	R3/AX/4199
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	12
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Dunholme Road, Edmonton, London -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Destination airport:	Pymmes Park, Edmonton, Middlesex
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Crashed into houses at Dunholme Road while low flying. Sgt Stanley Robert Morris (pilot) RAFVR killed. 12 died and 17 were injured on ground.

The pilot was instructed to make a local training flight, including circuits at Hatfield and climbing turns, and to remain within 3 miles of the aerodrome.

Instead he flew several miles further away and was low flying over Edmonton when the aircraft crashed into two houses in Dunholme Road, setting them on fire. Several persons died in the blaze and others passed away in hospital as the result of their burns. Casaulties were:

Sgt Stanley Robert Morris (aged 20) killed (pilot, RAFVR)
Mrs May Lavinia Callaghan (aged 39) died 8.9.38 of injuries sustained
Doris M Callaghan (aged 16) died 25.9.38 of injuries sustained
Dennis Callagahan (aged 13) killed
Terence Callagahan (aged 3) killed
John Euesden (aged 45) killed
James Letch (aged 24) died 5.9.38 of injuries sustained
Edward Letch (aged 20) killed
Benjamin Saunders (aged 43) killed
Mrs Harriet Grace Saunders (aged 37) killed
Roy Saunders (aged 16) killed
Derek Saunders (aged 9) killed
James Alfred Tant (aged 8) killed

An inquest was held at North Middlesex Hospital on 7 September 1938, where evidence showed that the pilot was disobeying orders in flying over the area. An instructor at the Flying Training School said that Morris had been told to fly local circuits at Hatfield and should have stayed within three miles of the aerodrome. Edmonton was around 12 miles from Hatfield. The inquest heard that the aircraft had been fit to fly and had been flown by other pilots that day. Morris had also been seen on the same day low-flying contrary to his orders. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death to all the victims.

The Air Ministry released a report on the accident stating that Morris was operating contrary to orders; not only had he flown further than three miles from the aerodrome, he was also manoeuvring at low level over a built-up area. He appears to have dived from 1,000 feet (300 metres), flattened out his dive and continued to fly at low level when he lost further height and struck the roof of a house. The investigation could find no evidence of a defect in the engine or aircraft

Edward and James Letch, brothers who tried to rescue the pilot from the aircraft, died in hospital from burns. They were posthumously awarded the Order of the British Empire. In 2008 a memorial stone was laid at Dunholme Road Air Disaster Memorial in Church Street Cemetery on the seventieth anniversary of the crash.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_air_crash
2. Folha da Noite 5 September 1938, p.27
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:https://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnails.php?id=29677&searchword=edmonton&searchword=edmonton]
4. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm
5. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1938/1938%20-%202602.html
6. http://tottenham-summerhillroad.com/connie_lloyd.htm
7. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=285183.0
8. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=10574
9. http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/3640061.seventieth-anniversary-of-tragic-plane-crash/_/
10. http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/7203/description

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Feb-2008 12:47	JINX	Added
23-Sep-2013 10:37	angels one five	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
14-Jul-2015 20:48	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]
27-Feb-2018 13:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Mar-2018 20:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Destination airport, Source]
20-Nov-2018 15:05	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]