Date:	Thursday 10 July 1924
Time:
Type:	Fairey Flycatcher
Owner/operator:	403 Flt RAF
Registration:	N9676
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	At sea aboard HMS Hermes -
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Hermes
Destination airport:	HMS Hermes

Narrative:
When making a deck landing in Flycatcher, N9676, at sea aboard HMS Hermes, Fg Off S. H. G. TROWER broke the tail skid. The rudder skid took the shock and this fractured the longeron.

Fg Off Stephen Herbert Gerard TROWER (16 Sep 00-17 Jul 35) joined the Royal Navy on a cadetship in September 1913 and served during World War I aboard HMS Benbow (1 Jan 17-26 May 19). He was invalided out of the Navy in April 1920.

Two years later, he joined the Royal Air Force on a Short Service Commission and undertook his flying training with 100 Sqn (DH9a & Vimy) at Spittelgate between April 1922 and April 1923. Considered a capable pilot, he was sent on a Flying Instructors' Course at the (then) Flying Instructors' School at Upavon.

Upon completion of the two-month course, in June 1923, Trower was posted to 403 (Fleet Fighter) Flight based at Leuchars and aboard the RN aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, which was equipped with Plover, Nightjar and Flycatcher aircraft.

Trower transferred to the RAF Reserve (RAFO) in April 1926 and travelled to southeast Asia where he flew for Air Survey Co Ltd, and subsequently Indian Air Survey & Transport Ltd, undertaking cadastral mapping of Burma, Malaya and India.

Returning to the United Kingdom in March 1932, he became a test pilot with Fairey Aviation Co Ltd at Hayes, but in July 1935 was killed in a flying accident at Evere, Brussels, during a demonstration to the Belgian Air Force. See https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/200724

1. Casualty Card, RAF Form A.M. 470 for this incident, http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/trower-s.h.g.-stephen-herbert-gerard (rtrvd Jul 22)
2. Who’s Who in British Aviation, 1933 edition, via Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, https://graces-guide-s3-live.s3.amazonaws.com/gracesguide/f/fe/Im1933WWBA-p130a.jpg (rtrvd Jul 22)
3. Royal Navy ratings file SHG Trower, ADM 196/147/638, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8125741 (rtrvd Jul 22)
4. Royal Navy officers file SHG Trower, ADM 196/124/44, https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7617040 (rtrvd Jul 22)
5. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/aircraft/types/type-details/fairey-flycatcher.htm (rtrvd Jul 22)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Jul-2022 22:02	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]