ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 259133
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 9 June 1955 |
| Time: | afternoon |
| Type: |  Republic F-84F-35-RE Thunderstreak |
| Owner/operator: | 92nd FBSqn /81st FBWg USAF |
| Registration: | 52-6521 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Roundwood, Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Manston, Ramsgate, Kent |
| Confidence Rating: |  Little or no information is available |
Republic F-84F-35-RE Thunderstreak 52-6521, 92nd FBS (81st FBW) USAF. Written off (damaged beyond repair) 6.9.1955 when crashed into the rear garden of 'Roundwood', Canterbury Road West, Cliffsend, Kent. The pilot - 1st Lt John L. Caswell, Jr - survived with minor injuries. According to a contemporary local newspaper report ("East Kent Times - Wednesday 15 June 1955):
"Jet Crashed Through 8 Gardens
Residents of Cliffsend escaped without injury on Thursday, when a jet aircraft from Manston crashed through the gardens of eight houses bordering Canterbury-road west. The jet - an F-84 Thunderstreak of the 83nd (sic) Fighter/Bomber Squadron - hit the wall of the first house in the row and continued to plough its way through the rear gardens of the houses, breaking walls, tearing up fruit trees and causing havoc to lawns and flower-beds.
The pilot, 1st Lt John L. Caswell, jun., was extricated from the wreckage, suffering from minor injuries
The Thunderstreak went out of control as it took off on a routine flight shortly after lunch. It broke through the fence surrounding the drome, careered across the main Ramsgate-Canterbury road, skewered through a field of green corn, leaving a deep scar, and smashed into the gardens at the rear of the houses. Only house in the row of eight damaged by the crashing aircraft was the first in the line. The wing of the jet tore a great hole in the wall of the kitchen as it started its drive of destruction along the gardens at the rear of the houses.
The owners of the house - Roundwood - the Misses F. and L. Andrews, were fortunately out for the afternoon.
At the other end of the row of detached houses, Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Winnicott were enjoying an after-dinner cup of tea in their sitting-room when the plane skidded to a halt in their back garden only a few feet away. Mrs. Winnicott told the East Kent Times and Mail,
"My husband had just brought in the tea when I first heard the plane. It was making a peculiar noise and I said to my husband, 'Oh, dear, That plane is going to crash.' The next moment I saw it swoop across the garden and land on top of the Anderson shelter. It smashed down a pear tree and an apple tree as well as all the hedge. It made a dreadful noise and my husband told me to run out the front of the house. He thought it might explode."
NOTE: The above newspaper report confirms that the incident occurred on Thursday 9 June 1955. The newspaper report is dated Wednesday 15 June 1955 and states the incident happened on the previous Thursday. Despite this several published sources (see links #2 and #3) give the date of the incident as 6 September 1955. Possibly due to confusion between US Date format (Month/Day/Year - 9/6/55) and UK date format (Day/Month/Year - 6/9/55)
ADDITIONAL: The BBC News Film footage of the incident (see link #5) is dated 10/6/1955, and refers to events of the previous day.
Sources:
1. East Kent Times - Wednesday 15 June 1955
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html
3. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-84F.html
4. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=20359.0
5. BBC News film footage of the incident: https://discover.bbcrewind.co.uk/asset/601bfdacd3894600279d80a1
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffsend
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-May-2021 18:19 | ASN archive | Added |
| 28-Jun-2023 09:57 | Nepa | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation