Date:	Tuesday 30 June 1936
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60X Moth
Owner/operator:	Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aero Club Ltd
Registration:	G-EBYV
MSN:	648
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Glebe Farm, Medomsley, Consett, County Durham -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Cramlington Aerodrome, Cramlington, Northumberland
Destination airport:	Cramlington Aerodrome, Cramlington, Northumberland

Narrative:
DH.60X Moth G-EBYV: crashed on 30th June 1936. Piloted by Samuel Smith, one of the sons of the founder of the Ringtons Tea company, the aircraft came to an ignominious end, and ended up upside down in the yard at Glebe Farm, Medomsley near Consett. The pilot was conducting a training flight over the Derwent Valley in the Newcastle region when poor weather conditions led to his disorientation. In an attempt to establish visual contact with the ground, the pilot reduced altitude. According to a contemporary newspaper report, he lost his bearings due to mist and rain and while he was trying to find a field safe enough to land in, the plane’s engine stalled and it crashed into the farmyard of Glebe Farm. Unfortunately, during this descent, one of the wings struck a stony wall in Medomsley. The aircraft crashed and came to rest upside down, breaking into two pieces. Despite the destruction of the plane, the pilot survived with injuries.

It’s remarkable that both the pilot and Mrs. Armstrong emerged unharmed, even though the aircraft suffered significant damage. The pilot, Samuel Smith, was thrown out and hit Mrs Armstrong, the farmer's wife. They were unhurt but both ended up in the slurry pit or the duck pond - sources differ. Some say that the wing tip clipped Mrs Armstrong, knocking her into the slurry pit and that the pilot fell out of the inverted plane and just landed in it.

Mr Sam Smith (pilot, aged 31 at the time) OK (uninjured)
Mrs Elizabeth Armstrong (farmer's wife) OK, apart from shock and bruises

Samuel Smith's family owned the Ringtons Tea company. He was born on 8th July 1905 at Leeds, Yorkshire and worked for the family company. He gained his Royal Aero Club certificate (Cert.No.13991) at the Newcastle Aero Club on 26th June 1936; this accident took place just four days later!

Registration cancelled 31 December 1936 due to "destruction or permanent withdrawal from use of aircraft"

The same pilot was also involved in two later accidents: firstly, at the controls of DH.82A Tiger Moth G-AELA, "The Ringtonian" when it was written off in a crash near Newcastle Airport on 6 March 1937 (see separate entry). Secondly, the same pilot was also involved in a third - and fatal - crash on May 16 1938 when at the controls of Percival Vega Gull G-AFGU (see separate entry)

Medomsley is a village in County Durham, England. It is about 2 miles northeast of the centre of Consett, one and a half miles south of Hamsterley and 1 mile southeast of Ebchester along the B6309. Leadgate lies a further mile to the south east.

1. Northern Echo (Darlington, County Durham) Wednesday 1 July 1936: ‘Falling ‘Plane Strikes Woman – Pushed in Pool with Craft on Top – Amazing Escapes’.
2. 70 years of flying 1925-1995 by John Sleight ISBN 0952690802 (A history of Newcastle Aero Club): https://www.amazon.com/Years-Flying-1925-1995-Newcastle-Continuous/dp/0952690802
3. http://ab-ix.com/dh60.pdf
4. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-EBYV.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_G-E4.html
6. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60g-gipsy-moth-medomsley
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p006.html
8. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-great-bitain-registers-g-eb/g-eb-part-2?highlight=WyJnLWVieXYiXQ==
9. https://aircrashesnearstanleyandconsett.blogspot.com/2011/10/de-havilland-gypsy-moth-g-ebyv-at.html
10. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?11016-T-E-Lawrence-photo-RAF-Magazine
11. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_EI-.html
12. [photo of accident]: https://aircrashesnearstanleyandconsett.blogspot.com/2011/10/de-havilland-gypsy-moth-g-ebyv-at.html
13. https://www.facebook.com/groups/235556596523656/permalink/3503067683105848/
14. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Accb1939.htm
15. https://heatonhistorygroup.org/2017/05/17/heaton-fliers-the-smith-family-and-newcastle-aero-club/
16. 1928 Kings Cup Air Race: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/pioneering-women/kings-cup-1928?highlight=WyJraW5ncyIsImN1cCIsMTkyOF0=
17. 1930 Kings Cup Air Race: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/pioneering-women/kings-cup-1930?highlight=WyJraW5ncyIsImN1cCIsMTkzMF0=
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medomsley

c/no. 648 DH.60X [Cirrus II] registered G-EBYV [C of R 1667] 23.6.28 to Maj Albert A Nathan, Stag Lane, Edgware, Middlesex. C of A 1489 issued 2.7.28. During its operational life it was twice entered in the King\'s Cup - a prestigious round Britain air race. The first occasion was on 28.7.28 (race number "15") when the race statistics were 38 entrants of which 36 started and 23 finished; one plane crashed, killing the pilot. On this occasion the plane was flown by a professional pilot, Wing Commander Sydney William Smith.

The Race started from Hendon aerodrome in London and flew a circuitous route around Britain, reaching as far north as Renfrew in Scotland and returning to Brooklands aerodrome in Surrey. On this occasion Wing Commander Smith was forced to retire at Nottingham after a collision on the ground with an Avro Avian III, G-EBZD, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Boyes.

Fitted with floats [after 30.9.28] and reportedly jointly owned by Nathan and Wing Commander Sydney Smith [Commanding Officer of RAF Cattewater]; based Cattewater [later renamed RAF Mount Batten] in 1929. Frequently flown by T.E. Lawrence [Lawrence of Arabia/a.k.a. A.C. Shaw]. Floats removed and reverted to land plane by 31.1.30.

Registered [C of R 2443] 15.2.30 to Flying Officer Kenneth E & Ian Robertson Parker, Liverpool [but based at Gosport?]. On 5.7.30, it was listed as a competitor again, (Race number "2") with Ian Robertson Parker, a sugar merchant and later, RAF Officer, from Liverpool as the pilot. The official entry shows it as a de Havilland Moth with a Cirrus II engine. The race started from London Hanworth aerodrome, flying a circuitous course as far north as Cramlington aerodrome in Northumberland and returning by an equally convoluted route around the western side of the country.

Of the 101 entrants, only 88 actually started and 61 finished; the race was won by Miss Winifred Brown in an Avro Avian III at an average speed of 102.75mph. Ian Robertson Parker in G-EBYV was not placed but did finish the course.

Registration cancelled 7.6.31 as "sold abroad". Fitted with Gipsy I engine. Delivered 15.2.31 and registered EI-AAG 2.6.31 to Iona National Airways Ltd, Finglas, near Dublin. Returned to UK and Irish registration cancelled 17.8.32.

Registered G-EBYV once more [C of R 3958] 16.9.32 to Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aeroplane Club Ltd, Cramlington. C of A renewed 30.9.32.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
16-Jun-2012 14:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
14-Oct-2013 01:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
23-Aug-2017 09:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
16-Jan-2021 20:41	Sergey L.	Updated [Source]
22-Oct-2023 17:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Source]]
22-Mar-2024 06:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]